Fugees star Pras Michel sentenced to 14 years in Jho Low lobbying case

The Fugees rapper Pras Michel has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for lobbying.

The Grammy-winning hip hop icon received the lengthy term on Thursday, November 20, closing a major chapter in the federal case that found him guilty of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.

He’ll also serve three years of probation once his sentence ends and is expected to surrender by January 27, 2026.

The case dates back to a 2019 indictment that alleged Pras received $21.6 million from Malaysian billionaire Jho Low in 2012.

Prosecutors said he covertly funnelled the money into U.S. presidential campaigns, including about $865,000 routed through straw donors in support of Barack Obama. That effort ultimately led to a false report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

He was also accused of helping create a back-channel effort to push for the extradition of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui. A federal grand jury convicted him in April 2023.

Several Hollywood figures also got pulled into the legal drama. Low helped fund The Wolf of Wall Street, which brought Leonardo DiCaprio to the witness stand during the 2023 trial.

Low himself has been missing since 2016.