Fugees rapper Pras appeals 14-year prison sentence
Pras was sentenced to 14 years in prison last month. Now, the Fugees member is attempting to reverse the decision.
The 53-year-old artist is set to surrender to authorities in January after being sentenced on conspiracy and illegal foreign lobbying charges.
According to Complex, Pras filed a Notice of Appeal in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, seeking to overturn the conviction and 168-month sentence.
His lawyer, Peter Zeidenberg, submitted the filing that will appeal his foreign influence and money laundering case after he was found guilty in 2023.
Pras requested a new trial after claiming his attorney’s use of AI ensured he “made frivolous arguments, misapprehended the required elements, conflated the schemes, and ignored critical weaknesses in the government’s case.” However, he was denied.
The case involved him being convicted of conspiracy, witness tampering, failing to register as an agent of China, and further counts.
He was accused of orchestrating a foreign influence campaign to get the United States to drop an investigation into fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low. Prosecutors said Pras betrayed his country for money while stating that similar cases had received decades-long sentences.
As part of his sentencing, he was also ordered to pay the government $64 million and hit with three years of probation once he’s released.
Following the sentence being given, his spokesperson, Erica Dumas, said in a statement, “Pras has spent his career breaking barriers and defying expectations. While today marks a difficult moment, it is not the end of his story or his legacy.”
She added, “He is profoundly grateful for the continued support of those who believe in him as he prepares for what lies ahead.”