The founding member of the acclaimed hip-hop trio Fugees has begun serving his federal prison term after being convicted of illegally channeling foreign funds into Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign.
Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, 53, entered a minimum-security federal facility in Arizona on Thursday to start his 14-year sentence, according to prison records and his representative.
“Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice. Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence,” his spokesperson Erica Dumas stated, noting that his attorneys continue to challenge the conviction.
“This chapter is difficult, but it is not his final one,” Dumas added.
A jury found Michel guilty in 2023 on ten criminal charges, including conspiracy and operating as an unregistered foreign agent. The court imposed his sentence in late 2023.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Michel received more than $120 million from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, then illegally funneled portions of those funds to Obama’s reelection effort using intermediary donors. Authorities also accused Michel of attempting to halt a Justice Department probe into Low’s activities, interfering with witnesses, and lying under oath during his trial. Low continues to deny wrongdoing.
Michel achieved fame as one-third of the Fugees alongside childhood companions Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The groundbreaking group earned two Grammy Awards and achieved massive commercial success, selling millions of records worldwide.
