Source: Tasos Katopodis / Getty
Pras has been found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States, amongst other charges. The founding member of the storied rap group the Fugees allegedly got his hands dirty with corruption across the presidencies of Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
CNN reports that on Wednesday (April 26), Pras, 50, born Prakazrel Samuel Michel, was found guilty of 10 criminal counts that stem from an international conspiracy involving the US government. The charges all derive from Pras’ financial relationship with a Malaysian businessman named Jho Low and using his influence in the aid of the Chinese government to acquire access to US officials. Said officials got their pockets lined in attempts to gain favor with Trump and Obama.
The case drew attention due to Pras’ fame as an artist and then acquired extra scrutiny from social media recently when he seemingly admitted to being a federal informant while on the stand. It’s a claim his legal team denies.
Pras testified that Low gave him $20 million back in 2012 for the rapper to get a picture of himself and then President Obama. However, prosecutors say Pras took $800,000 of those funds to donate to Obama’s campaign on the low—no pun intended. Then in 2017, Low again got Pras to donate funds to Trump in order to urge the dropping of an investigation into his financial dealings. Pras defense was that it was his money to spend and that the $100 million the feds claim was for Trump influence was actually an investment to start a new media company.
Clearly, the jury called cap.
“We are extremely disappointed in that result but are very, very confident in the ultimate outcome of this case,” reportedly said Pras’ attorney, David Kenner, to reporters. “If we do move to a sentencing hearing I remain very confident we will certainly appeal this case. This is not over.”
Pras is facing more than 20 years in prison when he is sentenced at a yet undetermined date. As for Low, he’s reportedly somewhere in China.
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