A jury on Wednesday convicted Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of The Fugees hip-hop group on criminal charges that he conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents.
His conviction in federal court in Washington followed a trial that was filled with political intrigue and featured high-profile witnesses including Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions.
Michel, who endured a blistering cross-examination by prosecutors while testifying in his own defence, was charged with 10 counts of conspiracy, acting as an agent of a foreign