Pras Michel of the Fugees Found Guilty In International Fraud Trial
Fugees member Pras Michel was found guilty in federal court in Washington on Wednesday (April 26) of 10 criminal counts related to an international conspiracy, per CBS. Michel faced multiple counts of failed conspiracy to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government gain access to US officials, including former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Michel testified he paid his friends money so they could donate to Obama’s campaign and attend the dinner, the publication reported. On the stand, he told the jury that he was paid approximately $20 million to get a picture of himself with Obama for Low, and that 10% of the money was going to go towards paying his friends to attend the dinner. Michel said that the money was his and not Low’s. He testified that the intent was not to break the law but to grab the photo for Low.
In his defense, Michel testified that he saw it as his money which he could spend however he wanted. “I could have bought 12 elephants with it,” he told the jury per CNN.
During Trump’s presidency, investigations started to pile up on Low and “his alleged role in billions of dollars being embezzled from 1MBD, the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, Low went to Michel again, prosecutors alleged.”
According to the prosecutors, Low directed over $100 million to Michel to help push the government, including Trump, to drop its investigation into Low, the publication reported. The hip-hop star said the $100 million was not for Trump but for a “media business he was starting and the investment wasn’t from Low.”
Low is still at large and was charged along with Michel. Low is to believed to be in China.
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