Illegal

Pras Michel, the Grammy-winning rapper and founding member of The Fugees, has been ordered to pay nearly $65 million to the federal government following his conviction on multiple conspiracy-related charges.

According to court documents obtained by Complex, federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that Pras had “obtained proceeds in the amount of at least $64,923,226 from his offense” for failing to register as an agent of China, conspiracy, and witness tampering.

Michel was found guilty in April 2023 on 10 criminal counts, including conspiracy and foreign lobbying.

The charges stemmed from his alleged role in helping Malaysian financier Jho Low gain political access to former U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, while also participating in schemes to illegally fund parts of their respective presidential campaigns.

“They already took 100 [million] from him and now they want another 64 [million],” Pras’ spokeswoman Erica Dumas told Billboard, expressing frustration over the mounting financial penalties the artist faces.

Michel’s legal troubles have been compounded by health concerns. His sentencing, originally scheduled for September, was postponed after he underwent emergency surgery for colon cancer.

“Due to emergency surgery to treat colon cancer, Pras was unable to appear at Friday’s scheduled sentencing,” Dumas told Rolling Stone at the time. “We are hopeful for his swift healing and recovery during this challenging chapter.”

Adding further controversy to the case, in 2024, Pras’ lawyer David Kenner pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court for leaking confidential grand jury materials to Bloomberg News. Kenner had represented Michel throughout the high-profile federal conspiracy proceedings.

The rapper is now expected to be sentenced in December, where he faces up to 10 years in federal prison, though his attorneys have requested a reduced sentence of three years in light of his medical condition and cooperation with authorities.