The U.S. government has ordered Fugees member Pras Michel to pay nearly $64 million after being convicted of illegal foreign lobbying and conspiracy charges. According to federal court documents obtained by Complex, Judge Colleen Kollar Kotelly ruled that Pras “obtained proceeds in the amount of at least $64,923,226 from his offense” which included failing to register as an agent of China, conspiracy, and witness tampering.
Pras’s spokeswoman Erica Dumas notes that the government’s pursuit has been extreme, stating they already took $100 million from him and are now seeking another $64 million.
The $64 million ruling comes ahead of Pras’ formal sentencing in December, where the rapper could face up to 10 years in federal prison. His legal team is pushing for a three-year sentence instead.
In 2023, Pras was found guilty of funneling money connected to a Malaysian financier into the 2012 reelection campaign of Barack Obama and interfering with a Justice Department investigation, while also attempting to influence a China-related extradition case under the Trump administration.