Pras Michel, A Rapper From The Fugees, Has Started Serving A 14-Year Prison Sentence For Charges Related To Money Laundering And Illegal Lobbying

Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel has surrendered to authorities and commenced a 14-year prison sentence for money laundering and illegal lobbying.

According to a report by Rolling Stone published on May 1, the 53-year-old artist turned himself in on April 30 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford, Arizona, after his April 2023 conviction on ten federal charges, which included money laundering, illegal foreign lobbying, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., and witness tampering.

“Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice,” said Pras’ spokesperson, Erica Dumas, in a statement to Rolling Stone. “Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence. The charges related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) that led to his conviction are being vigorously contested on appeal, and his legal team believes the record will show that his rights were violated and the truth was obscured. This chapter is difficult, but it is not his final one.”

Pras was originally sentenced in Washington, D.C. federal court on November 21, 2025. He was scheduled to surrender in March, but the judge postponed the surrender date by 30 days. Following his prison term, the Fugees member will be placed on probation for three years and has also been ordered to forfeit $64 million allegedly linked to his crimes.

As previously reported, Pras was found guilty for his role in a multi-million dollar international conspiracy in relation to billionaire financier Jho Low, who is accused of embezzling billions from the 1MDB Malaysian development fund, to unlawfully lobby the U.S. government. He was also implicated in a scandal involving the Obama campaign, where he was charged with defrauding the U.S. government by facilitating “foreign and conduit campaign contributions” for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Prosecutors asserted that Pras received millions of dollars through these illegal activities.

Prior to starting his prison sentence, Pras attended Kanye West’s concert in Los Angeles on April 3, where he saw fellow Fugees member Lauryn Hill perform with the Chicago rapper-producer. In March, Pras dropped a lawsuit against Ms. Hill in which he alleged that she had used his legal troubles to pressure him into a Fugees reunion tour.