Fugees Rapper Ordered to Forfeit Nearly $65 Million Over 1MDB Scandal
04/11/2025
Pras Michel, a founding member of the iconic hip-hop group The Fugees, has been ordered by a federal judge to pay nearly $65 million to the U.S. government following his conviction in a sprawling foreign lobbying and money-laundering case linked to the 1MDB financial scandal.
Michel, 51, faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced in December. However, his legal team is seeking a reduced term of three years, citing his cooperation and recent health struggles after emergency surgery for colon cancer. His spokesperson, Erica Dumas, criticised the mounting penalties, noting that “they already took $100 million from him and now they want another $64 million.” [vibe.com], [rickeysmil…ngshow.com]
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that Michel “obtained proceeds for at least $64,923,226” through illegal activities, including acting as an unregistered foreign agent, conspiracy, and witness tampering.
The charges stem from Michel’s role in helping Malaysian financier Jho Low funnel money to gain political influence in the United States. Prosecutors allege Michel used foreign funds to support Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and later sought to influence officials under Donald Trump to extradite a Chinese dissident. [vibe.com], [rickeysmil…ngshow.com], [allhiphop.com]
The forfeiture order follows Michel’s 2023 conviction on 10 criminal counts, including conspiracy and illegal lobbying. Authorities say the rapper received over $100 million from Low as part of schemes to obstruct investigations into the 1MDB scandal and manipulate U.S. policy. [allhiphop.com], [hiphopdx.com]
The case underscores the far-reaching impact of the 1MDB scandal, which has implicated global financiers, celebrities, and political figures in one of the largest corruption schemes in history.
Source
https://www.vibe.com/news/national/pras-pay-64-million-illegal-lobbying-conviction-1235135436/
https://allhiphop.com/news/prize-government-ceases-64-million/
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