Fugees member Pras Michel has been ordered by the U.S. government to pay a massive $64 million after his conviction for illegal foreign lobbying and conspiracy charges.
According to documents obtained by Complex, federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled Pras had "obtained proceeds in the amount of at least $64,923,226 from his offense” for failing to register as an agent of China, conspiracy, and witness tampering.
Per Billboard, Pras’ spokeswoman, Erica Dumas, said of the situation, “They already took 100 [million] from him and now they want another 64 [million].”
The massive fee isn’t the only punishment that Pras is set to receive. The rapper is facing sentencing on his convictions in December, when he could potentially face a decade in prison. His legal team has requested that he serve just three years instead.
In 2023, Pras was found guilty of funneling money through a Malaysian financier via straw donors to the 2012 reelection campaign of President Barack Obama, trying to suppress a subsequent investigation by the Justice Department, and influencing an extradition case on China’s behalf under President Donald Trump’s administration.
In August, legal proceedings to determine how much money Pras would have to cough up to the government were delayed because of emergency surgery for colon cancer. The rapper’s lawyers stated in a filing that he had “experienced a significant medical concern for which he is seeking medical treatment.”
“Due to emergency surgery to treat colon cancer, Pras was unable to appear at Friday’s scheduled sentencing,” Dumas told Rolling Stone at the time. “We are hopeful for his swift healing and recovery during this challenging chapter.”
Earlier this year, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Trump was considering a pardon for Pras.
