Grammy award-winning Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was found guilty in federal court on April 26 of 10 criminal counts related to an international political conspiracy. Michel was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. While he was acting as an unregistered agent for China, he was also a U.S. government informant.

At the center of the scandal is Low Taek Jho, CEO of Hong Kong-based private equity investment and advisory firm Jynwel Capital.

Low is a Malaysian national at the center of the conspiracy. He cozied up to Hollywood celebrities and, at one point, financed the film “The Wolf of Wall Street,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Low was charged along with Michel. He is believed to be in China, CNN reported.

Michel now faces up to 20 years in prison. No sentencing date was set. Complex reported he could face up to 22 years in prison.

In a failed conspiracy, Michel was helping Low and the Chinese government gain access to U.S. officials, including former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

The case against Michel was more than complex as he admitted on the stand that he also worked as an informant for the U.S. government.

Pras donated a total of $1.1 million to Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign, though the funds were actually given by Low, who is now a fugitive and is wanted for his connection to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. Pras also contributed to Trump’s campaign through Low, according to prosecutors.

1Malaysia Development Berhad is an insolvent Malaysian strategic development company, wholly owned by the Minister of Finance. Since 2015, the company has been under intense scrutiny for its suspicious money transactions and for possible money laundering, fraud, and theft.

Michel testified that Low paid him $20 million in 2012 in order to get a photo op with Obama, and prosecutors alleged Michel funneled over $800,000 of that money to Obama’s campaign through a number of straw donors. Low also directed over $100 million to Michel to help encourage the government, including Trump, to drop its investigation into Low, prosecutors said.

Michel also allegedly advocated for the extradition of a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui, on behalf of the Chinese government.

But Michel testified he only tried to help Low find an attorney in the U.S. and only informed authorities about Guo because he believed he was a criminal. And Pras said the $100 million he received was for a media business he was starting, and the investment didn’t come from Low.

Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, center, a member of the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees, accompanied by defense lawyer David Kenner, right, arrives at federal court for his trial in an alleged campaign finance conspiracy, Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)