Fugees rapper Pras turns himself in to Arizona federal prison to start 14-year sentence

WASHINGTON — Rapper Pras Michel, best known as a member of the hip-hop group the Fugees, turned himself in Thursday to a federal prison in Arizona for a 14-year sentence after his 2023 conviction on conspiracy and other charges.

The 53-year-old entertainer reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford, Ariz., according to federal prison records.

His spokesperson, Erica Dumas, told PEOPLE in a statement that it’s a “painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice.”

“Pras honors the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence,” Dumas said in the statement. “The [Foreign Agents Registration Act]-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.”

A judge ordered Michel to begin his sentence in January, then delayed it until March — then delayed it again to April 30, according to PEOPLE.

A federal jury convicted Michel in April 2023 of conspiracy, concealment of material facts, making false entries in records, witness tampering, and serving as an unregistered agent of a foreign power, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

He was accused of working with Malaysian businessman Jho Low to influence the justice department to drop an investigation into Low and others for embezzlement and other offenses.

The justice department accused Michel of funneling “millions of dollars of Low’s money into the 2012 U.S. presidential election as purportedly legitimate campaign contributions, all while concealing the true source of the money.”

He could have faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to the justice department.