It looks like Prakazrel "Pras" Michel is in some hot water.
The ex-Fugees rapper and a former Justice Department official named George Higginbotham are being accused of taking part in a conspiracy to route millions of dollars, through multiple banks accounts they allegedly opened, to a Malaysian fugitive, prosecutors allege, per ABC News. Prosecutors are saying they did this in the hopes of influencing Justice Department investigations around 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The pair also allegedly tried to get help from an unidentified candidate who was running for federal office. 1MDB, a Malaysian strategic development company, has been at the center of a major international scandal.
A court hearing was held on Friday in Washington D.C. Higginbotham was charged with one felony count of "conspiracy to make false statements" to a bank. He pleaded guilty to the charge at the aforementioned hearing.
“According to the allegations in the complaint, Michel and Higginbotham defrauded U.S. financial institutions and laundered millions of dollars into the United States as part of an effort to improperly influence the Department’s investigation into the massive embezzlement and bribery scheme involving 1MDB,” Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski said, perNJ.com. “The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will do everything we can to trace, seize, and forfeit the proceeds of foreign corruption that flow through the U.S. financial system.”
So far, there have been no charges brought forth against Michel. A Justice Department official says "It's an ongoing investigation."
Stay tuned as more information about the case becomes available.
