Rapper 'who betrayed US for money' is jailed for 14 years

A Grammy-winning rapper who "betrayed his state for money" has been sentenced to 14 years successful prison.

Prakazrel "Pras" Michel, who was portion of 1990s hip-hop radical The Fugees, was convicted of illegally funnelling millions of dollars successful overseas contributions to Barack Obama's re-election run successful 2012.

The Justice Department had accused the 53-year-old of accepting $120m (£92m) from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, who wanted to summation governmental power successful the US.

Prosecutors said Michel "lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to transportation retired his actions" - and sought to deceive the White House, elder politicians and the FBI for astir a decade.

In 2018, it is claimed helium urged the Trump medication and the justness section to driblet embezzlement investigations against Low.

Michel was convicted of 10 counts by a national assemblage successful 2023 - and past month, helium was ordered to forfeit astir $65m (£50m) for his relation successful the scheme.

Hollywood prima Leonardo DiCaprio testified astatine the trial, and Low was a superior financier successful his 2013 movie The Wolf Of Wall Street.

The Oscar-winning histrion said the businessman's backing and legitimacy had been cautiously vetted earlier they entered a partnership.

Prosecutors had been seeking a beingness condemnation to "reflect the breadth and extent of Michel's crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed".

However, the rapper's lawyer Peter Zeidenberg has argued that the 14-year word is "completely disproportionate to the offence" - and is vowing to appeal.

Last year, a justice rejected Michel's petition for a caller proceedings aft claiming that 1 of his lawyers had utilized AI during closing arguments.

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Low Taek Jho has been accused of having a cardinal relation successful the 1MDB scandal, amid claims billions of dollars were stolen from a Malaysian authorities fund.

The 44-year-old is simply a fugitive but has maintained his innocence, with his lawyers writing: "Low's information for giving Michel wealth to donate was not truthful that helium could execute immoderate argumentation objective.

"Instead, Low simply wanted to get a photograph with himself and past President Obama."

Michel, who was calved successful Brooklyn, was a founding subordinate of The Fugees with puerility friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean - selling tens of millions of records.