Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a founding member of the acclaimed hip-hop group The Fugees, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Thursday, November 20, 2025, for his role in a wide-ranging international conspiracy. The sentence, delivered in a Washington D.C. federal court by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, concludes a high-profile case that entangled two U.S. presidential administrations and revealed a complex web of illegal foreign influence.

A federal jury had previously convicted Michel, 52, on ten felony counts in April 2023. The charges included conspiracy, acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, witness tampering, and campaign finance violations. The case centered on Michel's relationship with fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, who is the alleged mastermind behind the multi-billion dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

The Conspiracy: From Obama to Trump

Prosecutors laid out a two-pronged conspiracy during the trial. The first part involved a scheme to illegally funnel millions of dollars from Jho Low into former U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Since U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals from making political donations, Michel used a network of approximately 20 straw donors to disguise the origin of over $2 million of Low's money. Michel testified that Low paid him $20 million with the primary goal of securing a photograph with President Obama. During the trial, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, a friend of both Michel and Low, testified that Low had mentioned wanting to donate a “significant sum” of $20-30 million to the campaign.

The second part of the scheme occurred during the administration of President Donald Trump. Prosecutors proved that Michel accepted over $100 million from Low to act as an unregistered foreign agent. His mission was twofold: to lobby the Justice Department to drop its investigation into Low and the 1MDB scandal, and, separately, to lobby on behalf of the Chinese government for the extradition of dissident Guo Wengui. The trial featured testimony from former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who stated that while he was aware of China's desire for the extradition, he did not know Michel and that the rapper's efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

A Star-Studded Trial and Legal Battle

The Washington D.C. trial drew significant media attention due to its roster of high-profile witnesses, including DiCaprio and Sessions. DiCaprio testified about his relationship with Jho Low, who was a primary financier of his 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The actor told the court he understood Low to be a legitimate and powerful businessman.

Following his conviction, Michel's legal battle continued. His defense team requested a new trial, arguing that his previous attorney, David Kenner, had provided ineffective counsel, partly by using an experimental AI program to help craft his closing arguments. In August 2024, Judge Kollar-Kotelly rejected this request, ruling that the errors did not constitute a miscarriage of justice sufficient to overturn the jury's verdict.

Sentencing and Global Implications

At the sentencing hearing on Thursday, East Africa Time, Michel declined to address the court. U.S. Justice Department prosecutors had argued for a life sentence, stating in court filings that Michel “betrayed his country for money” and that his sentence should reflect the “breadth and depth of his crimes.” Conversely, Michel's defense attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, argued for a three-year sentence, describing the 14-year term as “completely disproportionate to the offense.” Michel is expected to appeal both the conviction and the sentence.

While the case has no direct ties to Kenya or East Africa, its conclusion carries significant global weight. It serves as a stark illustration of the vulnerabilities of Western political systems to illicit foreign money and influence. The scandal highlights the methods used by international figures to leverage celebrity and wealth to gain access to the highest levels of power, subverting legal and democratic processes for personal and political gain. The conviction and lengthy sentence send a strong message from the U.S. Justice Department about its intent to prosecute such complex international criminal conspiracies. Jho Low remains an international fugitive.