US: Rapper Pras Michel found guilty of political conspiracy

American rapper Pras Michel on Wednesday was found guilty in a multi-million dollar criminal corruption trial.

A jury in Washington D.C. found the former member of the Fugees hip-hop group guilty of all 10 charges he faced, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.

The case against Michel

Michel, a Grammy-winning artist of the popular 1990s group, was accused of funneling money from a Malaysian financier, who is believed to be in China, through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

He was also accused of trying to quash a Justice Department investigation and influence an extradition case on behalf of China under the Trump administration.

Michel declined to comment after the verdict, but his attorney said he’s “extremely disappointed” with the verdict and plans to appeal.

“This is not over,” attorney David Kenner said. “I remain very, very confident we will ultimately prevail.”

Michel’s trial began on March 30 in a federal court and included testimonies from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The defense argued that Michel wanted to make money and received bad legal advice as he reinvented himself in the world of politics.

Michel faces up to 20 years in prison for the most severe counts in the case according to the Justice Department.

rm/kb (Reuters, AP)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-rapper-pras-michel-found-guilty-of-political-conspiracy/a-65446008?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf