Fugees rapper Pras Michel is officially challenging his 14-year federal prison sentence.
The Grammy-winning artist filed a Notice of Appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on December 4, seeking to overturn the conviction and 168-month sentence imposed on November 24.
Michel’s legal team, led by attorney Peter Zeidenberg, confirmed the appeal is tied to his high-profile foreign influence and money laundering case, which stems from his ties to Malaysian financier Jho Low and the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
The rapper was convicted in April 2023 on 10 criminal counts, including conspiracy, illegal foreign lobbying, money laundering, witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. Authorities alleged Michel accepted more than $100 million from Low to influence U.S. political outcomes and shield the financier from extradition.
Prosecutors claimed Michel funneled foreign funds into Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign and later tried to sway the Trump administration to halt its investigation into 1MDB. The scheme was described as a covert “back-channel lobbying campaign” designed to derail U.S. investigative efforts.
The case is one of the rare modern prosecutions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires individuals representing foreign governments to register with the Justice Department. In addition to his prison term, Michel was ordered to forfeit $65 million.
During sentencing, Michel’s lawyers argued for probation, highlighting his philanthropic work and claiming he was manipulated by Low, who remains a fugitive. The court denied the request.
The trial also gained attention for the unprecedented use of artificial intelligence by Michel’s defense team, marking “the first instance of generative AI being used in a federal trial.” Michel later criticized his attorneys, claiming their AI-assisted arguments misrepresented key aspects of the case. A request for a new trial was denied.
With the appeal now filed, the D.C. Circuit will review whether legal or procedural errors occurred during the trial or sentencing—a process that could take months or even years to resolve.
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