Fugees rapper Pras has officially been found guilty on all counts in his federal trial for criminal conspiracy charges.
The verdict was handed down in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (April 26). According to CNN, the former Fugees artist was found guilty on 10 counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US, witness tampering and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
AD LOADING...
“We are extremely disappointed in that result but are very, very confident in the ultimate outcome of this case,” Pras’ attorney, David Kenner, told reporters. “If we do move to a sentencing hearing I remain very confident we will certainly appeal this case. This is not over.”
A sentencing date has yet to be set.
Pras was accused of a failed conspiracy to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government gain access to US officials, including Barack Obama and Donald Trump. In a rare and bold move, he opted to take the stand in his trial last week and testified that he served as an unofficial FBI informant regarding China’s efforts to extradite Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui.
AD LOADING...
Though he denied he worked with China on the Wengui matter, Pras said he voluntarily met with FBI agents on multiple occasions to discuss him and three Americans being held hostage in China.
“I took it upon myself to report because I thought the FBI should know,” he said.
Elsewhere in his testimony, Pras told jurors he served as a “celebrity surrogate” for Low, and that Low paid him $20 million to help him get a photo with Obama in 2012.
AD LOADING...
“They didn’t want the optics at that time,” Pras said. “At that point, Jho Low was a party guy — Vegas, champagne, parties with Paris Hilton. The campaign just didn’t want that.”
Pras insisted he never made any political donations on Low’s behalf, however, saying he used his own money and always ran things by his lawyers and accountants to ensure everything he did was on the level.
Prosecutors allege Pras was paid hundreds of millions of embezzled Malaysian dollars in exchange for running a foreign-influence campaign against the U.S. government.
While Low is also charged, he remains free and is believed to be hiding in China. Guo has since been arrested, however, and charged by the Justice Department with defrauding investors in an unrelated case.
