Fugee Pras Michel jailed for fourteen years after illegal lobbying

Pras from The Fugees has been jailed for fourteen years after being convicted over illegal lobbying, following taking millions from fugitive Malaysian billionaire Jho Low to influence US politicians on his behalf. A legal representative for Pras says the sentence is “completely disproportionate to the offence.”

Pras Michel — one third of The Fugees — was found guilty two years ago of unlawfully lobbying two US Presidents on behalf of Jho Low. The musician was convicted for campaign finance violations, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, witness tampering, and lying to banks, all related to the millions in cash he accepted from Low, who sought to influence the governments of Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Michel’s legal team argued that their client shouldn’t face more than three years in jail for his crimes, but US prosecutors told the court that sentencing guidelines actually recommended a life sentence, because Michel had “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.”

In a written statement to the court, the US Department Of Justice argued that Michel’s sentence “should reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country and the magnitude of his greed.”

Summary: The case centers on illegal lobbying and financial crimes tied to Jho Low’s bid to influence US officials, with prosecutors arguing for a severe penalty and supporters contesting proportionality.

Авторское резюме: Pras Michel получил четырнадцать лет тюрьмы за незаконное лоббирование и связанные преступления, что подчёркнуло масштаб злоупотребления влиянием и столкновение между правосудием и индустриальной стороной музыкальной индустрии.

Complete Music Update — 2025-11-21

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