Pras Ordered To Unload $64 Million Over Foreign Lobbying & Conspiracy Charges

BY Zachary Horvath 1392 Views
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 03: Pras Michel performs during the 2023 The Roots Picnic at The Mann on June 03, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Live Nation Urban)
Pras is also facing some serious prison time for these charges, with reports saying he can be handed 10 years behind bars.

Pras' legal and financial burdens continue to get worse. The Fugees co-founder will be handing over a whopping $64 million to the government over his foreign lobbying and conspiracy charges. Per documents acquired by Complex, federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that he had "obtained proceeds in the amount of at least $64,923,226 from his offense" for failing to register as an agent of China, conspiracy, and witness tampering.

Pras was found guilty of 10 criminal counts in April 2023. They stem from his alleged role in assisting Malaysian financier Jho Low gain political access to Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Additionally, the artist also allegedly participated in schemes to illegally fund parts of their presidential campaigns.

The MC's spokesperson, Erica Dumas, spoke on behalf of her client's frustration over this hefty legal penalty. "They already took 100 [million] from him and now they want another 64 [million]."

Overall, things are going anywhere but up for the icon, who is also staring down a potential 10-year sentence in prison. We were going to find that out in August; however, Pras' health quickly was the real priority.

When Is Pras' Sentencing?

Lauryn Hill Performs At Crypto.com Arena
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 04: Singer Pras Michel performs onstage with The Fugees at Crypto.com Arena on November 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

He required emergency surgery for colon cancer. That pushed his sentencing date back to October. "Due to emergency surgery to treat colon cancer, Pras was unable to appear at Friday’s scheduled sentencing," Dumas said at the time.

But that obviously didn't fall through either, so Pras will learn his fate in December. In January, rumblings of Donald Trump considering a pardon for the 53-year-old surfaced. But since Hollywood Reporter shared that news, it's been pretty quiet since.

Other potential ways in which Pras' reps have tried to shorten his sentence by using his aforementioned medical problems. To be exact, his attorneys have requested just three years in light of his medical condition and cooperation with authorities. We will wait and see what happens next month.

About The Author
Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.

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