Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty
A federal court found Fugees musician and federal informant Prazkazrel “Pras” Michel guilty of ten counts related to international conspiracy on April 26.
The artist’s crimes included conspiracy, witness tampering and acting as an unregistered foreign government agent. Pras’ attorney, David Kenner, said he was “extremely disappointed” after the jury’s verdict, according to the Associated Press.
“This is not over. I remain very, very confident we will ultimately prevail,” Kenner added.
The court did not give a date for Pras’ sentencing. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The former Fugee’s case encompassed celebrities, politicians and some of the world’s biggest investors.
Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions were two of those who testified throughout the rapper’s trial.
Prosecutors alleged that Pras influenced U.S. government affairs to benefit China for Malaysian businessman and Hollywood socialite Jho Low. The op’s role in the scheme was to launder embezzled funds from the businessman’s state-owned Malaysian business account. The government’s case against the performer claimed he personally received $20 million from Low, whom he met in 2006. The laundered money then went to straw donors who financially contributed to Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and influenced the Trump administration.
When Pras testified in court, the former Fugee said he was unaware that it was illegal to use Low’s money to pay for his friends to go to a political fundraiser during the 2012 campaign season.
Pras claimed that he received money from Low over nine months as compensation for helping the foreign businessman get a photo with Obama, Entertainment Tonight detailed.
Wednesday’s jury found the musician guilty of using burner phones to discourage straw donors from cooperating with the Justice Department’s investigators.
Prosecutors believe that Pras accepted more of Low’s money after he agreed to stop the Trump administration’s investigation into the businessman’s involvement in the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
Low is a global fugitive who’s still at large.
The 50-year-old op copped to being an FBI informant, playing both sides of the fence with respect to China and the United States. Pras divulged that he shared information about American hostages in the Asian nation with the U.S. government. He was paid $100 million after agreeing to be a double agent for China. Pras’ job was to persuade the U.S. government to extradite criminal billionaire Guo Wengui to China.
Read more about Pras’ multimillion kleptocracy case, Low and the 1MDB scandal below.
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