A United States (U.S.) court has sentenced rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel to 14-years in prison for providing illegal donations to former US President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
The musician, well-known for being a member of the 1990s hip-hop group Fugees, was accused of illegally funnelling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to Obama’s campaign.
The high-profile trial in Washington, DC, included testimonies from Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Michel, who refused to address the court before the announcement of the verdict, was found guilty of 10 different counts by a federal jury in April 2023.
He was found guilty of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
He was accused of siphoning funds from the mastermind of 1MDB scandal, fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, and put some of that money into Obama’s campaign.
The 1MDB scandal is one of the biggest financial frauds in Malaysian history and many of the country’s high-profile figures have been convicted for their role in the scandal, including disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The Justice Department said that the Grammy-winning rapper lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.
For the unversed, it is illegal in the U.S. for foreigners to donate in the election campaigns.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly announced the verdict sentencing the acclaimed rapper to 14-years in prison.
