Pras is hoping this latest appeal will spring him from federal prison.
Fugees’ rapper Pras Michel has officially filed an appeal to overturn his current 14-year federal prison bid for money laundering.
On Dec.4, Pras filed a Notice of Appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in hopes of having his conviction and prison sentence tossed.
The “Ghetto Superstar” crafter was found guilty in April 2023 on 10 counts, including conspiracy, illegal foreign lobbying, money laundering, witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
Michel allegedly accepted more than $100 million from a Malaysian financier, Jho Low, to influence U.S. politics and help keep Low from being extradited to the United States.
While Pras is currently fighting for his freedom, Low remains on the run.
Initially, Pras was convicted under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a rare prosecution that requires individuals who speak on behalf of foreign governments and their principals to register with the Department of Justice. He was also ordered to forfeit $65 million.
His legal team unsuccessfully argued that he deserved probation, claiming Low had manipulated Pras and that the rapper gave back to the community through philanthropic endeavors. The court wasn’t buying it.
In another bizarre claim, Pras accused his previous attorneys of using artificial intelligence regarding their closing arguments.
In a brief he filed, the rapper called for a new trial, claiming his attorney “made frivolous arguments, misapprehended the required elements, conflated the schemes and ignored critical weaknesses in the government’s case.”
While it did turn out to be one of the first cases to utilize “generative AI,” he was still denied a new trial.
Pras’ current appeal could take months or years to play out.
