Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide -- I'm gonna find you.
Those are the words, I'll assume, that US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly uttered when she sentenced Fugees rapper "Pras" Michel to 14 years in prison for his role in illegally funneling millions in foreign contributions to Obama's 2012 campaign.
In 2023, the Haitian-American rapper was convicted of money laundering, illegal lobbying, witness tampering and campaign finance violations -- ten counts in total.
The details here are wild:
The rapper Prakazrel Michel, known as Pras, orchestrated a sprawling international conspiracy in which he accepted $120 million from Low Taek Jho, a Malaysian financier who wanted to gain political influence in the United States, the Justice Department said. Mr. Michel distributed some of that money to a network of about 20 straw donors, who then donated it to the Obama campaign.
Mr. Michel seems to be non-partisan as well.
For instance:
In 2018, Mr. Michel engaged in another scheme to persuade the Trump administration and the Justice Department to drop federal embezzlement investigations into Mr. Low. Mr. Michel also pressed for the extradition of a Chinese dissident back to China from the United States.
Michel was ordered to fork over almost $65 million for his role in the scheme. Prosecutors said Michel deserved life in prison, while his lawyer, of course, said he deserves only three years behind bars.
The Justice Department had some words:
'After Michel was caught, he tampered with witnesses and then perjured himself at trial,' the Justice Department said in its sentencing memorandum. 'His sentence should reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed.'
Michel's trial included testimony from "several prominent figures," including the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio.
Michels is set to appeal.
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