Ex-Fugees Rapper ‘Pras’ Found Guilty On Charges Involving International Conspiracy Between China And U.S. Gov

Former Fugees Member Pras Michel Found Guilty in International Conspiracy Case

Grammy-winning artist Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a former member of the 1990s hip-hop trio the Fugees, has been found guilty in a federal court on 10 criminal counts related to an international conspiracy to help China influence the U.S. government.

Michel, who rose to fame in the early 1990s upon forming the East Coast hip-hop trio with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, played a central role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to improperly influence top government officials, including the Obama and Trump administrations, authorities said.

The Conspiracy

Michel received more than $100 million from Malaysian financier Jho Low, who also faces charges separately for allegedly embezzling billions from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, between 2009 and 2014.

Court documents and trial evidence detail that Low and Michel conspired to lobby President Trump and the Justice Department to drop the 1MDB embezzlement investigation and extradite a Chinese national on behalf of Beijing. Authorities also accused Michel and Low of lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of Beijing to extradite a Chinese dissident living in America.

The Verdict

Michel, 50, was convicted of conspiracy, concealment of material facts, making false entries in records, witness tampering, and serving as an unregistered agent of a foreign power in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to the Department of Justice. He pleaded not guilty to all changes.

Prosecutor Sean Mulryne told the jury in closing arguments that the rapper was “at the center of the conspiracy.”

“He’s the core; he’s the linchpin,” Mulryne said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Fallout

Michel faces up to 20 years in prison. Authorities have yet to set a sentencing date.

Michel’s attorney, David Kenner, told reporters the rapper plans to appeal his conviction after sentencing.

“We are extremely disappointed in the results and are very, very confident in the ultimate outcome of this case,” Kenner said. “This is not over. I remain very, very confident that we will ultimately prevail in this matter.”

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