Fugees rapper Pras Michel has officially surrendered to authorities to begin serving a 14-year prison sentence. The artist, known for his work with the legendary hip-hop trio, turned himself in on Thursday, April 30, at the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford, Ariz.
This development follows his April 2023 conviction on 10 federal charges, which included money laundering, illegal foreign lobbying, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, and witness tampering. According to reports, the 53-year-old rapper was initially sentenced in a Washington D.C. federal court on November 21, 2025, with his surrender date pushed back by 30 days earlier this year.
In a statement provided to the media, a spokesperson for the rapper, Erica Dumas, expressed the gravity of the situation. “Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice,” Dumas stated. “Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence. The FARA-related charges that led to his conviction are being vigorously contested on appeal, and his legal team believes the record will show that his rights were violated and the truth was obscured. This chapter is difficult but it is not his final one.”
Following the completion of his prison term, the Fugees member will be placed on three years of probation. Additionally, he has been ordered to forfeit $64 million allegedly linked to his involvement in an international conspiracy. Prosecutors alleged that Michel acted on behalf of billionaire financier Jho Low to illegally lobby the U.S. government and was involved in a campaign finance scandal related to the 2012 re-election bid of former President Barack Obama.
Despite the legal turmoil, Michel has remained active in the public eye. He was recently spotted at a concert in Los Angeles featuring Ye and his former groupmate Lauryn Hill. Furthermore, in March, he dropped a lawsuit against Hill in which he had previously alleged that she leveraged his legal challenges to pressure him into a reunion tour.
The legal battle regarding his conviction is expected to continue through the appeals process as his team seeks to overturn the verdict.
