O rapper Pras Michelgroup member Fugeeswas sentenced this Thursday to 14 years in prison nos USA for illegal donations to the former President’s re-election campaign Barack Obamarelating to 2012.
The 53-year-old American artist of Haitian origin had already been found guilty of influence peddling in a scheme led by a Malaysian businessmanrelated to the sovereign wealth fund 1MDBin which he received more than 120 million dollars (104 million euros) between 2012 and 2017.
According to the indictment, the funds were funneled to Obama’s presidential campaign through intermediaries and funds off-shoresince donations of foreign origin are prohibited in the United States. Michel was further considered guilty of conspiracy, falsification of documents and acting as an agent of a foreign government.
O Michel’s lawyerPeter Zeidenberg, classified the penalty as “completely disproportionate” and announced appeal. For its part, the Public Prosecutor’s Office argued that the conviction was justified, accusing the musician of betraying the country in exchange for money, without remorseand noting that federal guidelines recommended life imprisonment.
Pras Michel was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Haitian immigrants, and is one of the founders of the Fugees, a hip-hop band that won two Grammys in the 1990s and achieved album sales in the tens of millions worldwide.