Pras will be sentenced for his federal conspiracy case at a later time after the veteran rapper had to undergo emergency surgery for colon cancer.
The Fugees rapper, born Prakazrel Michel, was scheduled to appear in a courtroom in Washington, D.C. on Friday, August 29, to learn his fate after he was convicted on 10 counts of conspiracy, lying to the Federal Election Commission, and witness tampering. According to a statement his legal team provided to Complex on Monday, September 1, Pras' sentencing hearing was postponed to October after the artist had to go under the knife to remove cancer from his colon.
"Pras was unable to attend his scheduled sentencing hearing on Friday due to emergency medical surgery to remove cancer from his colon," his rep Erica Dumas told the outlet. "We wish him a complete and speedy recovery as he navigates both his legal matters and his health journey."
Michel was charged with conspiring to make illegal campaign contributions and failing to register as an agent of China. He was accused of making attempts to connect Malaysian entrepreneur Jho Low and the Chinese government to both the Obama and Trump administrations. He was indicted in 2019 for allegedly assisting with an illegal transfer of $865,000 to Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign. In 2021, Michel was charged with trying to get the Trump administration to end an investigation into Malaysian financier Jho Low.
During his trial, Michel admitted that he accepted $20 million from Low in 2012 to get a photo with former President Obama. However, he also denied accepting $100 million from Low and claimed it was an investment in a media business he was creating. Prosecutors also alleged that Michel advocated for the extradition of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui. However, Michel testified that he only told the authorities about Wengui because he believed he was a criminal.
Following Michel's conviction, President Donald Trump reportedly considered granting the rapper a pardon. The White House didn't confirm or deny the report, but they did say he's "exploring all available options following his case." Pras faces up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is set for October 3, which is two weeks before he turns 53.