Updated on 11/21/2025 at 6:15 p.m.: Fugees’ member Pras Michel has finally received his sentence for his federal conspiracy case.
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As we previously told you, Michel was accused of transferring a large sum of money from Malaysian mogul Jho Low and his wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad into President Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. He was also charged with having ties to a back channel campaign to stop the Trump administration from investigating 1MDB and Low.
In April 2023, Michel was convicted of conspiracy, concealment of material facts, making false entries in records, witness tampering and serving as an unregistered agent of a foreign power. He was facing up to 20 years behind bars and millions in restitution.
On Thursday (Nov. 20), Michel was sentenced to 14 years in prison, according to Entertainment Weekly. He’s also been ordered to serve three years of probation after his sentence is over and will have to surrender by Jan. 27, 2026.
Lawyers for the rapper responded to the news in a statement, adding: “Pras has spent his career breaking barriers and defying expectations. While today marks a difficult moment, it is not the end of his story or his legacy. He is profoundly grateful for the continued support of those who believe in him as he prepares for what lies ahead.”
Michel, a longtime member of the popular 90’s rap group, had been dealing with serious health issues following his April 2023 conviction of conspiracy, concealment of material facts, making false entries in records, witness tampering and serving as an unregistered agent of a foreign power. Per legal documents obtained by Billboard, Michel missed a hearing because he had to undergo emergency surgery for colon cancer removal.
Federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that Michel must pay the government $64,923,226 after the guilty verdict. Michel’s legal team pushed back against the court’s order, calling the payment “grossly disproportionate” in earlier filings, but Judge Kollar-Kotelly rejected that argument. The rapper’s spokesperson, Erica Dumas, told Billboard, “They already took 100 [million] from him and now they want another 64 [million].”
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