Rapper Pras Michel, widely known for his role in the iconic hip-hop group the Fugees, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for his involvement in illegal donations linked to former President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign. The sentence was handed down on Thursday, more than two years after Michel was found guilty for his role in the massive financial scandal tied to Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, considered one of the biggest fraud cases in global history. 

Michel, born in Brooklyn to Haitian parents, was convicted of channeling millions through straw donors, offshore companies and other illicit mechanisms. The 1MDB scheme became a worldwide symbol of corruption and money laundering: billions from the Malaysian state fund were siphoned off to purchase luxury items, artwork, real estate, jewelry, exotic cars, and even to help finance films such as The Wolf of Wall Street. According to prosecutors, between 2012 and 2017 Michel received more than $120 million from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, the alleged mastermind behind the fraud.

Part of that money allegedly made its way into Obama’s 2012 campaign, despite the strict U.S. ban on foreign political donations. Michel was also found guilty of illegally lobbying the Trump administration in 2017, allegedly on behalf of China, to push for the extradition of controversial businessman Guo Wengui. The defense called the sentence “completely disproportionate” and announced plans to appeal both the conviction and the punishment.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that Michel had “betrayed his country for money” and repeatedly lied to advance his schemes, insisting that the severity of the case warranted a harsh penalty. Pras Michel, who along with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean propelled the Fugees to global fame with hits like Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly, now faces the darkest chapter of his life, far from music and overshadowed by one of the largest financial scandals of the modern era.