Fugees rapper Pras Michel missed a scheduled sentencing hearing on Friday, Aug. 29 due to an emergency doctor’s visit.
Michel, 52, was initially set to appear in court on Friday, Aug. 29 to discuss how much money he would need to forfeit after being found guilty in 2023 of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, according to Billboard.
According to his spokesperson, Erica Dumas, Michel “missed Friday’s sentencing hearing while undergoing emergency surgery for colon cancer removal. We stand with him and his family and wish him a full recovery as he addresses this serious health matter,” she said.
She added that Michel was “recovering right now until he is in the clear and focused on spending time with his family ahead of sentencing,” and that he “remains hopeful for his future.”
Due to the surgery, the date for his sentencing has been moved to October 3. It was originally set to take place last month.
Pras faces up to 22 years behind bars after being convicted in his conspiracy trial of charges such as failing to register as an agent of China.
In December 2024, federal prosecutors filed a motion for an order of forfeiture, seeking a judgment against the Fugees member for the amount of $64,923,226.40.
The figure stems from what the feds say is a total payment of $104.24 million from Malaysian businessman Jho Low to Pras as part of several “schemes” intended to influence government officials to end an investigation into whether Low embezzled from the investment fund 1MDB, as well as to send a Chinese national back to China.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Donald Trump is considering commuting Pras’ possibly lengthy sentence.
Pras is best known for being a co-founding member of the seminal group The Fugees. Founded in the 1990s, the group quickly rose to international fame with their second album, The Score. This album, which includes hits like “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not,” and “Fu-Gee-La,” has sold over six million copies in the U.S. and 18 million copies worldwide. This made it one of the best-selling albums of all time.