Rapper Pras Michel, a former member of the Fugees, was convicted in a Washington D.C. federal court on Wednesday of ten criminal charges related to an international conspiracy that involved high-ranking officials within the U.S. government. The Grammy-winning artist was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. He faces up to 20 years in prison, although a sentencing date has not been set.
The charges against Michel stem from an alleged failed attempt to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government gain access to U.S. officials, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Prosecutors claimed that Michel received $20 million from Low in 2012, which he used to influence Obama’s campaign through a series of straw donors.
Michel’s attorney, David Kenner, expressed disappointment about the verdicts but stated confidence in the outcome of the case. “We are extremely disappointed, but very confident in the ultimate outcome,” Kenner told reporters. “This is not over.”
Michel testified that the $20 million was his own money that he could spend as he pleased, and not Low’s. He also claimed that when Low approached him again during the Trump administration to help push the government to drop its investigation into Low, Michel only tried to find Low an attorney in the U.S. and reported Guo Wengui to authorities because he believed Guo to be a criminal.
Low, who has been charged alongside Michel, is believed to be in China. Guo has since been arrested and charged by the Justice Department for unrelated fraud charges.
