WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A US court sentenced rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel to 14 years in prison for involvement in a billion-dollar Malaysia scam that funnelled money into American politics, his lawyer confirmed Friday.

In 2023, the 53-year-old founding member of the 1990s hit trio the Fugees was convicted of money laundering and campaign finance violations in a global foreign influence scandal led by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho.

The scheme funnelled millions of dollars into former US President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

A jury had found Michel guilty on 10 criminal counts following a trial that included Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio as a witness.

In addition, Michel was found guilty of conspiracy, forgery, and acting as an undisclosed agent of a foreign Government.

He was also tried for illegal lobbying on behalf of China in 2017, during the first Trump Administration. He intended to request the extradition to Beijing of entrepreneur Guo Wengui, accused of defrauding thousands of investors to the sum of over $1 billion.

Michel’s attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, said his client would appeal and that the 168-month sentence was lop-sided.

“We believe the verdict was unsupported by the evidence and that the sentence is completely disproportional to the facts alleged, particularly when compared to his codefendants,” Zeidenberg told AFP following the sentencing.

Zeidenberg was referring to others implicated in the case: Elliott Broidy, a former leading fund-raiser for Donald Trump before his first presidency; George Higginbotham, a former US Department of Justice official; and Nickie Lum Davis, an American international businesswoman from Hawaii.

“Elliott Broidy was pardoned, George Higginbotham got 3 months’ probation, and Nicki Lum Davis received 24 months,” Zeidenberg said in an e-mail. “There simply is no justification for Mr. Michel being singled out like this except for the penalty for opting for trial.”

Justice Department prosecutors said last year that Michel had “betrayed his country for money” and “funnelled millions of dollars in prohibited foreign contributions into a United States presidential election,” warranting a serious sentence.

Michel, originally from Brooklyn and a Haitian-American, founded the Fugees with his childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean.

The group won two Grammy Awards at the peak of their fame in the 1990s and sold tens of millions of albums.