Fugees' Pras Michel Faces Prison After Court Rejects Bail Pending Appeal

Fugees rapper Pras Michel will have to begin serving his 14-year prison sentence after a federal judge denied his request to remain free while appealing his conviction in a high-profile money laundering and illegal lobbying case.

In a Thursday ruling, US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rejected Michel's motion for bail pending appeal, saying the arguments presented "largely repeated the same arguments" that had already been considered during his trial.

"This court has already opined that the issues raised by defendant do not warrant an acquittal or a new trial, particularly considering the overwhelming weight of the evidence against him," the judge said.

Michel, 53, had asked to stay out of prison while challenging his 2023 convictions on 10 counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US government, illegal lobbying, bank fraud, and witness tampering, Billboard reported.

He claimed errors in his trial, arguing that the court repeatedly labeled him a "co-conspirator" and allowed an FBI agent to offer multiple opinions of his guilt.

The judge, however, concluded that these claims were insufficient to overcome the presumption that he should be detained.

Pras Michel's Prison Report Delayed to March 30

While the court denied bail, Michel received a brief reprieve. His original prison report date of Jan. 27 has been delayed to March 30, giving him time to appeal the bail decision at the federal circuit court level.

According to RollingStone, Judge Kollar-Kotelly warned that Michel "is required to take affirmative action" to pursue the appeal, or no further extensions will be granted.

Michel's spokesperson, Erica Dumas, has defended the rapper, saying, "This wasn't a fair trial. This was a coronation of guilt. We're confident the appeals court will recognize this case for what it is, an unprecedented trial that denies Pras' constitutional right to an impartial jury."

The charges against Michel stem from his ties to Malaysian financier Jho Low, accused of embezzling $4.5 billion from a state fund called 1MDB.

Prosecutors said Michel helped funnel money from Low into lobbying efforts aimed at persuading the Trump administration to drop investigations involving Low and a Chinese dissident.

Michel has denied any wrongdoing, telling Rolling Stone, "What benefit would I get trying to break laws? It's not worth it to me."

Michel, a founding member of the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like "Killing Me Softly" and "Fu-Gee-La."

After splitting in 1998, the trio pursued solo careers, briefly reuniting in 2023, though Michel later distanced himself from further Fugees reunions.

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