Pras ia asking the court to hold his sentencing hearing in January 2025.
According to documents obtained by AllHipHop, the Fugees MC and his legal team are proposing a December 20 deadline for a Memoranda in Aid of Sentencing—a document written by a defense attorney to paint more complete picture of the defendant other than just the crime itself—and the sentencing hearing on January 10, 13 or 14.
Pras—real name Prakazrel Michél—was arrested and charged for his involvement in a significant political scandal involving illegal foreign lobbying, financial crimes and conspiracy. In 2019, he was indicted on charges related to a scheme to influence the U.S. government on behalf of Malaysian financier Jho Low, who was implicated in the 1MDB scandal, a massive international fraud and embezzlement scheme.
Pras was accused of funneling money from Low to support political campaigns in the U.S., including former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, without properly registering as a foreign agent. He was convicted in 2023 on charges including conspiracy, witness tampering and campaign finance violations. He was accused of illegally lobbying the Trump administration to drop an investigation into Low and extradite a Chinese dissident to China at the request of the Chinese government.
Pras faces up to 20 years in prison and his legal troubles have made headlines as part of a broader investigation into international political corruption and influence. He was recently denied another trial.
Despite Pras’ looming legal woes, he was still booked to tour with Lauryn Hill on her Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Anniversary Tour. But in August, Hill abruptly canceled all dates.
TMZ spoke with Pras around that time and he explained how her behavior disrupts his schedule. Meanwhile, Hill blamed the media’s “clickbait headlines” and “sensationalism” for low ticket sales, but Pras suggested it was on her: “I saved her reputation for 20 years by not telling my side of the story but oops … cat’s out the bag.”