Pras will now be facing between 15 and 20 years in prison for his role in an alleged foreign lobbying and campaign finance conspiracy. According to AllHipHop, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sided with prosecutors in a lengthy dispute over federal sentencing guidelines on Tuesday.
The defense had previously argued that the Fugees rapper shouldn't face any longer than five to six years behind bars. They suggested that he was merely “a political novice manipulated by foreign billionaires and self-serving intermediaries."
In her determination, the judge alleged that Pras obstructed justice, laundered illicit funds, and acted as an unregistered foreign agent. She further said that the defense's presentation of the situation “understates the severity of the offenses and the defendant’s role in advancing them.”
A jury originally convicted Pras on 10 felony counts, including conspiracy, illegal foreign lobbying, witness tampering, and campaign finance violations, in 2023. The charges stem from his alleged role in helping Malaysian financier Jho Low gain political favor with presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Read More: Pras Michel's Emergency Colon Cancer Surgery Delays Federal Conspiracy Sentencing To October
Pras Colon Cancer
The sentencing update comes after Pras' legal proceedings were postponed in August as he underwent emergency surgery for colon cancer. “Due to emergency surgery to treat colon cancer, Pras was unable to appear at Friday’s scheduled sentencing,” his spokeswoman, Erica Dumas, told Rolling Stone at the time. “We are hopeful for his swift healing and recovery during this challenging chapter.”
Earlier this month, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered him to pay back $64 million as part of the case, according to documents acquired by Complex. “They already took 100 [million] from him and now they want another 64 [million]," Dumas said in response to the ruling. Pras still does not have an official prison sentence. He will return to the courtroom, next month, for his sentencing hearing.
