Fugees rapper Pras turns himself in to begin 14-year prison sentence, vows to appeal conviction
Fugees rapper Pras turns himself in to begin 14-year prison sentence, vows to appeal conviction
Kathleen PerriconeFri, May 1, 2026 at 3:48 AM UTC
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Pras Michel in 2021 in New York CityCredit: Jared Siskin/GettyKey Points -
The Fugees' Pras Michel surrendered to the Federal Correctional Institution in Arizona to begin a 14-year sentence.
A federal jury convicted Michel in 2023 on 10 counts, including money laundering and illegal lobbying.
A spokesperson says he will "vigorously" appeal the conviction.
Ready or not, Pras has begun a 14-year prison for money laundering and illegal lobbying.
The Fugees rapper (real name: Prakazrel Michel) turned himself in on Thursday to the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford, Ariz.
“Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice,” spokesperson Erica Dumas said in a statement. “Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence. The FARA-related charges that led to his conviction are being vigorously contested on appeal, and his legal team believes the record will show that his rights were violated and the truth was obscured. This chapter is difficult but it is not his final one.”
In April 2023, a federal jury convicted Pras on 10 counts, including money laundering and illegal lobbying.
The Fugees star was accused in 2019 of funneling money from fugitive Malaysian businessman Jho Low through straw donors to Barack Obama's 2012 campaign, trying to impede an investigation into Low's money laundering scam, and trying to persuade the U.S. to extradite a Chinese dissident.
The high-profile case included testimony from star witness Leonardo DiCaprio, as Low provided financing for the actor’s 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street.
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The Fugees in 2023Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Six months after his conviction, Pras filed a motion for a new trial, claiming his former lawyer had used AI to draft his closing statement, which was ultimately bungled.
A judge denied his request, and Pras was formally sentenced to 14 years in federal prison in October 2025. He was initially ordered to surrender in January, but the date was pushed back to March, when he was granted another 30-day extension.
As his prison stint loomed, the 53-year-old spent quality time with his family. The New York native also traveled to Los Angeles to see his former bandmate, Lauryn Hill, perform with Kanye West on April 3. Weeks earlier, Pras dropped a lawsuit he filed against the “Everything Is Everything” singer for canceling their reunion tour.
The Fugees in 1997Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty
The Fugees — Pras, Hill, and Wyclef Jean — formed in 1990, deriving their name from “refugees” as a nod to Michel and Jean’s Haitian heritage.
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The trio’s second album, 1996’s The Score, sold an estimated 22 million copies worldwide and spawned several hits, including “Ready or Not” and “Killing Me Softly,” before the group disbanded two years later in 1998.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
