FILE - Pras Michel, a member of the 1990's hip-hop group the Fugees, arrives at U.S. District Court on April 3, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of the Fugees was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Thursday.
He was convicted of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
What they're saying:
Justice Department prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines recommended a life sentence for Michel, whom they said "betrayed his country for money" and "lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes."
"His sentence should reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed," they wrote.
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About the case
The backstory:
Michael had acquired over $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho and trickled that money through straw donors to Obama’s campaign.
Michael also attempted to end a Justice Department investigation into Low, tampered with two witnesses and perjured himself at trial.
A federal court found him guilty of all charges, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government back in April 2023.
What's next:
Michel will appeal his conviction and sentence, according to his lawyer.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local.