Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, the Grammy-winning rapper who co-founded the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, reported to a low-security federal correctional institution in Safford, Arizona, on Thursday to begin serving a 14-year prison sentence, a spokesperson confirmed.
Michel, 53, was convicted in 2023 on 10 federal counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He was sentenced late last year. Federal records list him as an inmate at the Arizona facility.
The case centered on Michel’s role in funneling foreign money into U.S. political campaigns. Federal prosecutors said Michel obtained more than $120 million from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho — widely known as Jho Low — and directed some of that money into former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign through straw donors. Low has maintained his innocence in related matters.
Prosecutors also said Michel attempted to end a U.S. Justice Department investigation into Low, tampered with two witnesses, and committed perjury during his trial.
“Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice. Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence,” said Erica Dumas, a spokesperson for Michel, adding that his legal team continues to contest the charges.
“This chapter is difficult, but it is not his final one,” Dumas said.
Michel was a founding member of the Fugees, the hip-hop group formed with childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The group won two Grammy Awards and sold tens of millions of albums, releasing landmark records including The Score before the members pursued solo careers.