Fugees rapper Pras turns himself in for 14-year prison sentence in Arizona
Pras has officially begun his 14-year prison sentence.
The Fugees rapper was convicted of conspiracy, witness tampering, failing to register as an agent of China, and other counts in 2023.
He was accused of orchestrating a foreign influence campaign to get the US to drop an investigation into fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low.
In November, he was sentenced to 14 years behind bars and three years of probation after being forced to pay $64 million.
According to Rolling Stone, Pras turned himself in to the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford, Arizona, on April 30th.
In a statement, his spokesperson, Erica Dumas, said, “Today is a painful day for Pras, for his family, and for everyone who believes in a fair system of justice. Pras honours the legal process as he reports to begin his sentence.”
She continued, “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.”
Pras intends to file an appeal in prison, with Dumas explaining, “He has to fight it on the inside. His appeal is in the very beginning stages. As you can imagine, it’s a very complicated case with lots of files.”
US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly denied his bail request in January after claiming his appeal didn’t meet the burden required.
Dumas argued, “This wasn’t a fair trial. This was a coronation of guilt. We’re confident the appeals court will recognise this case for what it is, an unprecedented trial that denies Pras’ constitutional right to an impartial jury.”