The Department of Justice accused rapper Pras Michel, a former member of the group Fugees, of acting as an undercover agent of China's communist regime and Malaysian billionaire Jho Low, who is a fugitive from U.S. justice, to obtain confidential information. The trial against the artist lasted three weeks.
Pras faces ten criminal charges, including conspiracy, witness tampering and failure to register as an agent of China. If convicted, he could face more than two decades in prison. The rapper has pleaded not guilty. At the trial, personalities such as actor Leonardo DiCaprio testified.
As reported by CNN, the rapper received large amounts of money for years from Beijing and Low. Prosecutors suggest that this money was used to obtain privileged information from the Obama and Trump Administrations. For example, in 2012 Low gave the rapper $20 million to help him take a photo with Obama. He also gave $800,000 to the Obama Victory Fund through various donors.
According to the prosecution's indictment, years later Pras received a payment of more than $100 million to stop U.S. criminal investigations against Low and to mediate the release of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui. Upon learning that Justice was investigating him, the rapper decided to send letters to those he once paid to get their money back. If donors refused, he threatened to take legal action against them.
During the trial, Pras denied that the money he received from abroad was to gather information from the Obama and Trump administrations. He stated that it was he himself who decided what to do with these amounts, without receiving instructions. His lawyer, David Kenner, concluded his argument by pointing out that there was no evidence to incriminate his client. He also argued that "making money is not a crime".
