Scamfluencers - Pras Michel: The Fugee Felon | 168

Episode Date: July 21, 2025

Fugees founder Pras Michel is struggling to pivot to a new career when he meets Malaysian billionaire playboy and criminal mastermind Jho Low. He’s handsomely rewarded for helping Jho make political connections, but over time Jho’s asks get bigger and the implications far more serious. Eventually, Pras finds himself at the center of a global geopolitical caper involving far-right figures, an international scam, and even hostage negotiations. When Pras admits to the law he’s in over his head, they turn him into the figurehead of a wide-ranging scandal.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey there, Scamfluencers fans! Want to be the first to know how these wild scams unfold? Join us on Patreon to get early access to episodes, ad-free listening, and exclusive content that reveals even more of the drama. Just search for Scamfluencers on Patreon and dive deeper into the scandal. Sarah, I feel like everyone around our age has a very specific and profound relationship with the Fugees. Do you?

Oh, big time. And my two older sisters were like the age to actually listen to the Fugees. Yeah, yeah. My brother too. This is the same thing. Yeah. You know, it's just one of those bands where you're like, I know more of their songs than I probably even realized that I can sing off by heart.

Yeah, I feel like, obviously I love music, but I love mess, and so I love the Fugees. Because like, between the secret hookups and their very public feuds, they were kind of like a disaster waiting to happen. Yeah, there was drama in that band for sure. They were everywhere all the time. Well, Sarah, all that drama pales in comparison

with what happened after the band broke up. Would you trust the least famous Fuji with an international prisoner exchange? No? Well, today I'm gonna tell you about how Prase Michel became the spy no one asked for. Pras Michel became the spy no one asked for. It's 2006 in New York City, and Pras Michel is planning on having a quiet night in, until he gets a call from a club promoter.

The promoter's a friend, and he's looking for a celebrity to come to a club and party with a billionaire tonight. Pras is a tall, lanky Haitian-American in his 30s. He's past the peak of his fame, but he's still a big deal. He's part of the on-again, off-again rap group, The Fugees, which has won two Grammys and sold over 20 million albums. The Fugees disbanded back in 1997,

and only recently got back together about two years ago. But their reunion has been pretty tumultuous, so Praz has turned his attention to documentaries. His latest project is all about the realities of poverty, but being a filmmaker isn't as lucrative as being in one of the biggest rap groups of the 90s. So even though Praz doesn't drink, he agrees to go to the nightclub and collect an appearance fee. Plus, he wants to help out his friend. Later that night, Praz walks into PM,

a dimly lit club in the meatpacking district. He weaves through leather booths and tables offering overpriced bottle service and makes his way to the VIP area. And that is where he meets the billionaire, Joe Lowe. I mean, we know him. He's famous to us. I mean, we know him. He's famous to us. I mean, we did cover him.

Yeah. He is a scammer billionaire who loves being around celebrities. Yeah, he does. Joe is a Malaysian businessman in his mid-20s with a short, stocky frame, wire glasses, and a big ego. He's known for paying celebrities like Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, and Leonardo DiCaprio to party with him. And Proz is tonight's A-lister. It's a pretty routine night at the club

until some Wall Street douchebags take the DJ's microphone and announce that they're the richest people in the club. And to prove it, they're buying everybody a drink. The crowd cheers, but Joe is not one to be outdone. He pays 20 grand to use the DJ's mic and yells, Stop the music. The record scratches and Joe instantly has everyone's attention. He offers a correction.

He is the richest guy here, and he wants to prove it by buying every bottle in the club. Champagne, liquor, water, everything. But that's still not enough for Joe. He reportedly has someone go to the club across the street and buy every bottle there too. The crowd goes wild and the DJ starts playing, We Will Rock You. You know, this is famously how love works. Um, it requires no authentic emotion or connection. It just requires, uh, you have to be seen.

And he wants to be seen as the richest guy in the club, at the other club, and he's happy you know that now, and now you love him and he loves you. Correct. It's seamless. And Praz is impressed. He may be a big performer, but he's never seen a crowd go nuts like this. By Praz's estimations,

Joe just spent at least a million dollars like it was nothing. Praz goes home and likely laughs off this insane evening, never planning to see Joe again. But in a few years, the two men will reconnect. But this time, the night won't end with Champagne and Queen. Joe's about to become one of the most wanted men in the world. And Proz will go from a rap superstar to secret power broker

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From Wondery, I'm Saatchi Cole. And I'm Sarah Haggye. And this is Scamfluencers. Pras Michelle is a man of contradictions. He's in the Fugees, but he's the least famous one. He's an activist who also loves luxury goods. After rising to international fame, Pras tried to find a way to keep up his celebrity lifestyle and make a positive societal impact. But his two desires were often at odds, and in the end, greed won. Praz got seduced by the allure of easy money and thought the power of celebrity would insulate him from campaign finance law and extradition agreements. By the time he realized how deep

of a hole he dug for himself, it was far too late to get out. Ready or not, this is Pras Michelle, the Fuji Felon. Let's go back to when we all probably first heard of Pras Michelle. It's 1997, and the 39th annual Grammy Awards are being held at Madison Square Garden. Ellen DeGeneres is hosting in her pre coming out era. Leanne Rimes, Jewel and No Doubt are all up for best new artist. But right now everyone is on the edge of their seats to see who will win

best rap album. Will it be Tupac, LL Cool J, or a new group called The Fugees? Tony Braxton reads the results. And the best rap album is The Fugees. The audience erupts in cheers as 24-year-old Praz, in a sweatshirt and jeans, takes the stage with his bandmates Wyclef Jean and Lauren Hill. They each take a turn at the mic, where Praz says, Everybody who made it happen for the Fugees, thank you for supporting us. This is the second Grammy the trio takes home that night, and Praz is over the moon.

Something like this was unimaginable to him as a child. He was raised in New Jersey by strict Haitian parents who forbade him from watching TV, listening to pop music, or even wearing sneakers. He could only indulge in music by singing and performing in his church's band. But once he made it to high school, Praz found ways to branch out.

In 1989, when he was 14, he met a classmate named Lauren Hill. And together, along with Praz's closest friend, Wyclef Jean, they formed a band called The Fugees, named as a nod to refugees. They started creating music with a specific goal in mind, promoting political and social change. As Praz told MTV years later, when they covered a Fugees concert in Haiti, Wherever we feel like refugees had a bad name and that's what we represent is trying to uplift the people, give people like a self of Praz, you know what I mean? Growing up, Praz's parents were deeply invested in Haitian

politics and Praz took an interest in activism at an early age. The Fugees was just one way Praz planned to get his voice heard. It wasn't until the group sophomore album in 1996 that they really blew up. It's called The Score, and it's the album that earns them two Grammys and skyrockets them to stardom. Sarah, I know you know the Fuji song, Killing Me Softly.

Yes, of course. Classic song, perfect song, introduced me to Roberta Flack, a classic and a banger to this day. Perfect song. Perfect song. And it's a song that makes Praz mega famous and an instant millionaire. The album ultimately sells more than 18 million copies and concert sales and

royalties keep the cash flowing. As Praz says later, quote, I went from being on the streets of Newark to Park Avenue overnight. During this time, Praz gains a reputation for flaunting his wealth. He lives in a $30,000 a month New York apartment and drives a Lamborghini SUV. He wears Rolexes and gold rings and always has the latest cell phone, a real status symbol in the mid 90s. His financial advisor even scolds him for going a quarter of a million dollars over budget in just two months. But unfortunately for Praz, the Fuji's success is short lived. Wyclef and Lauren had been having a tumultuous

long time affair and the drama becomes too much. In 1997, they all start releasing solo music. A year later, Proz hits the charts with his single, Ghetto Superstar featuring Maya. Sarah, do you remember this song? Oh my, do I remember this song? Such a good song. It's in my mind forever. It's like one of those songs you'll know for your whole life.

Yeah, man, it was a bop, but you know what? It's not enough to launch Praz's solo career. So a decade after the Fugees gained worldwide fame, 33-year-old Praz makes a big decision. He's switching from music to movies. He'll continue to build on the Fugees' legacy of socially conscious entertainment. And to do this, he'll take to the streets in a way he never has before. It's 2006, and Praz is living on the streets of Skid Row in Los Angeles. But he isn't actually unhoused. He's doing gonzo journalism and secretly filming himself.

It's all for a documentary that he hopes will foster empathy and put a spotlight on LA's housing crisis. Naturally, Praz has made himself the star. He spends nine days and nine nights on Skid Row, surrounded by addiction and in constant fear of violence. It's terrifying and emotionally exhausting, but Praz is happy he's using his money and image for a good cause. As Praz says in the movie's trailer. I don't have a solution for this.

The one thing that I would like is to at least let people know that it does exist. Skid Row. Okay, you know, I don't have a lot of patience for this type of famous person who's like, I can now say something important because nobody else has done this before and then they do it in a way where who's like, I can now say something important, cuz nobody else has done this before. And then they do it in a way where it's like, just about them.

Yeah. Well, after he finishes filming, Pross returns to New York and his Park Avenue apartment to relax. This is around the time that he first meets Joe at the club. But Pross isn't drawn in by Joe's excess. He's still looking for a cause he can believe in. And before long, he discovers one. Barack Obama. It's 2007, and a housing advocacy organization in downtown LA invites Praz to a rally for the presidential candidate. At the event,

Praz and Obama start chatting, and Obama invites him to a Beverly Hills fundraiser hosted by a few Hollywood bigwigs including Steven Spielberg. When Pross balks at the $40,000 ticket price Obama says don't worry about it. He invites Pross to come for free as his guest. Well, yes understandable because a disease Obama has is that he loves celebrities. He really does. because a disease Obama has is that he loves celebrities. He really does. Well, Praz watches in awe as Obama charms the room and raises more than a million dollars

for his campaign efforts. And Praz is inspired. He becomes a celebrity face for the campaign, helping them in any way he can. When Obama wins, becoming America's first black president, Praz feels like he was part of a powerful new movement. Six months after the election, Praz travels to Somalia to film another documentary,

this time about pirates. Praz later claims he witnessed the hijacking that inspired the movie Captain Phillips and says that he was actually taken captive by pirates too. But this documentary never gets released. Wow, you know, this is really my moment to shine. As a Somali host of scamfluencers, the most ambitious type of person is someone who wants to film a documentary in Somalia, because, honey, it ain't happening.

You will never get the access, You'll never meet the right people. No wonder this has not been seen. I highly doubt he was a witness to the Captain Phillips hijacking, because that was a really big one. It sure was. It was a major one. Yeah. Well, predictably, Praz returns to politics,

this time in his parents' native country, Haiti. He supports the musician who's running for president there and films the entire campaign. The musician gets elected, but his presidency ends up being a disaster, steeped in corruption. Praz is still hell-bent on making a real difference, so he refocuses on domestic politics. Obama's about to start his re-election campaign. And Praz's history with the candidate is going to make him a target for people looking to get into the world's most exclusive club,

Obama's Inner Circle. In early 2012, Praz gets another call from his club promoter friend. Again, the friend is on a mission to get something for the billionaire, Joe Lowe. But this time, it's more than just a celebrity hang. Joe wants a picture with President Obama, and he's wondering, can Praz help hook that up?

Praz is a little taken aback by this ask. It's kind of audacious, but Praz hasn't found his next windfall. At this point, his personal bank account has a little more than $1,300 in it. He's never forgotten Joe's outrageous spending the night they met at the club. So Praz quips he'll think about it, for a million dollars. He mostly says it as a lark, but sure enough, a few days later, Praz gets word that a million dollars has been transferred to his bank account.

Oh my god. That is... I bet you anything he didn't think it was going to work out that way. Like imagine having $1,300 and then being like, hmm, what if I save one million dollars? It's like rubbing a genie lamp. It's truly easier than making a wish. Yeah. Well, the problem is now, Praz is on the hook to try to make this happen. And while Praz may have met Obama in the past, he has no idea how he's going to get Joe this photo.

But he starts by funneling some of the money he received straight into Obama's campaign to grease the wheels and cozy up to Obama staffers. Now, this is where Praz and the government story start to diverge. In the U.S., it's illegal for anyone but U.S. citizens to make political donations. And all political donations, over $200, are tracked and reported to the Federal Election Commission. As a political advocate, Praz probably already knows this, but he later argued in court

that there was one clear distinction. He wasn't spending Joe's money, he was spending the money Joe gave him, which makes it Praz's money. This might sound confusing, but it is an important distinction. The U.S. government later accuses Joe of giving Praz millions

to influence the presidential election, and that the picture was just a prop. But Joe really seems to want this photo. In June, he flies from Singapore to Miami because Praz says that he can get him into a fundraiser with Obama. But the Secret Service and Obama's campaign reject Praz's request. They can't allow a foreign national at a paid fundraiser, especially someone like Joe, whose reputation is more international party boy

than political ally. So Joe flew across the world for nothing. But this doesn't stop his quest for a photo. Joe wants influence, and in his experience, the best way to get anything is with money. So he keeps throwing money at Praz, hoping he can get him his Kodak moment. During the final months of the 2012 campaign, Joe sends Praz more than $21 million. Praz never discloses this to the FEC or the IRS.

Instead, he enlists 20 friends to act as straw donors, and they send some of the money to Obama's reelection campaign. A straw donor is basically someone you pay to donate your money, so you don't have to report it. This whole process is super shady, but straw donors are not rare. Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump have all been implicated in straw donor scandals in the past. You would think that Praz would think twice before messing with the government, especially

since his girl Lauren Hill recently pled guilty to tax fraud. But apparently, Praz is undeterred. Altogether, about $2 million of Joe's money makes it to Obama's campaign fund. But despite all of the money he's given to Praz, his coveted photo remains out of reach. And Joe isn't exactly known for his patience or his willingness to take no for an answer. In September 2012, a few months after his failure in Miami, Praz lets Joe know that he's helping put together a campaign fundraising dinner in D.C. and he's pushing for Joe to have a seat at the table.

But the campaign denies the request again, and he's pushing for Joe to have a seat at the table. But the campaign denies the request again, and now Joe is getting impatient. So he pressures Praz to at least get his father into the dinner. This request is successful. Praz happily reports back to Joe that his father got multiple photos with Obama. It's a step in the right direction, but it's not what Joe's paid for. Three days before the election, Joe throws himself a birthday party. And this is no pizza party at Chuck E. Cheese Sarah. Picture Hollywood's A-list gathered in

a Vegas airplane hangar that's been converted into an indoor carnival, complete with Ferris wheel and Kentucky Fried Chicken Stand. Leonardo DiCaprio wraps. Britney Spears jumps out of a cake. Robert De Niro is also there for some reason. But Praz says that even with all of that going on, Joe was still focused on getting that picture with Obama. Praz later testifies that at the after party in Joe's penthouse suite, Joe was asking about it.

He says they tried to have the conversation in the suite's living room, but it was a bit crowded because there was a Ferrari in the middle of it. So they moved to the balcony so Kraus could explain how getting the photo would work and how much Joe would have to pay. You know, I am so confused here because it's like, in part, I understand wanting the photo, like for his own image, but also this idea that it's kind of more about, no, I can get whatever I want and I'm going to get it, even though it's like, you know, it should be pretty easy for a rich person to get a photo with a politician, you know?

Yeah, must be driving him nuts, honestly. This is truly his white whale. He could have anything he wants, except for this. Yeah, I know. He can't get over it. Well, three days later, Obama wins re-election. And one of Praz's campaign contacts is able to bring Joe to the White House's holiday party, for which Joe coughed up an additional $20 million, this time to a campaign insider. Sarah, can you describe the photo, the legendary photo? Yes, you know, it's a photo of Barack and Michelle Obama as beautiful as they've ever

looked in front of a Christmas tree. And between them is Joe Lowe. And he looks so happy. And then it's like a holiday card, you know, signed holidays, Barack and Michelle Obama, whatever. It's really funny because it looks like the kind of photos, honestly,

influencers get with the president. Well, Sarah, all it took was nine months and $41 million, but finally, Joe has his photo with Barack Obama. Praz has received millions of dollars from the effort. And all seems well, except behind the scenes, multiple international agencies are coming for Joe.

You might remember Joe from our previous episode of Ska Influencers all about his misdeeds, but in case you missed it, in 2008, Joe convinced the Prime Minister of Malaysia to set up a sovereign wealth fund called 1MDB. The billions of taxpayer dollars that made up the fund were supposed to go back into Malaysian programs and infrastructure. Instead, the Prime Minister allowed Joe to illegally transfer the money to himself and their co-conspirators. That's how Joe is footing the bill for his larger-than-life parties with the biggest celebrities on the planet. But Joe won't get away with ripping off all of Malaysia for long. And once he's discovered, international law enforcement agencies won't stop until

they've tracked down all the stolen money, including the money now sitting in Praz's pocket. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle III, Murder at the Grand View, the latest installment of the gripping Audible original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Russo must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand view shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone chilling performance

in the supernatural thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. Today is the worst day of Abby's life.

The 17-year-old cradles her newborn son in her arms. They all saw how much I loved him. They didn't have to take him from me. Between 1945 and the early 1970s, families ship their pregnant teenage daughters to maternity homes and force them to secretly place their babies for adoption. In hidden corners across America, it's still happening.

My parents had me locked up in the godparent home against my will. They worked with them to manipulate me and to steal my son away from me. The godparent home is the brainchild of controversial preacher Jerry Falwell, the father of the modern evangelical right and the founder of Liberty University. Where powerful men, emboldened by their faith, determine who gets to be a parent and who must give their child away. Follow Liberty Lost on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. It's a few years later in 2016, an FBI agent Robert Huchling has spent the last year obsessively investigating Joe.

Robert's based in New York and has been overseeing a special squad focused on international corruption, money laundering, and antitrust investigations. A British journalist has just uncovered the 1MDB scandal and exposed how Joe and the Malaysian prime minister stole $4 billion from the people of Malaysia. And Robert has been gathering evidence to try Joe for his crimes in the US. As a former naval officer, Robert has an eye for detail, and he's been closely tracking Joe's confusing international banking moves.

Now, his team has enough evidence to take the case to the courts. With Robert's information, the federal courts in California demand that Joe and his co-conspirators turn over $1 billion in assets. Joe owns mansions and hotels, a private jet, the music giant EMI Records. Plus, the government wants the rights

to the movie he bankrolled, The Wolf of Wall Street. And maybe more importantly, Joe's other film investment, Dumb and Dumber 2. Oh my God. Yeah, I knew that one would hurt you. Well, there's only one thing standing in the way of a major victory for Robert. Joe has fled the States and no one would hurt you. Well, if there's only one thing standing in the way of a major victory for Robert, Joe has fled the states, and no one can find him.

He's an international criminal, and he's already wanted by both Malaysia and Interpol. So Robert will just have to get in line. There are rumors that Joe's hiding out in China. Apparently they've offered to bail out 1MDB's debts. And China must look pretty appealing to Joe, because the country usually refuses to work with the U.S. to extradite accused criminals. But Robert isn't deterred. This is just the beginning of his mission to bring Joe to justice.

And while Robert waits, he'll start to look at anyone who's been in Joe's inner circle to see what they know and whether they help Joe with his sprawling scheme. A few weeks after Joe's U.S. assets are seized, Praz goes vacationing in Cote d'Azur. It's the summer of 2016 and he's living large on the French Riviera, trying to forget his troubles. Recently, Praz was contacted by the FEC about potentially violating campaign finance laws. They haven't formally pressed charges, but Praz is feeling the heat. And with Joe in hiding,

Praz doesn't have access to his help or his money. But that's when Praz happens to run into Joe's brother, Sen, who he's met a few times over the years. Sen gives Praz Joe's new number and begs for Praz's help. He claims that all the allegations against Joe are false. Joe's annoyed that his US legal team is moving so slowly. And since Praz was so helpful with the Obama photo, he has a feeling Praz could help him again.

Now this is a pivotal moment for Praz. He can walk away from Joe and stay above the law from here on out. But Praz has been looking for his next big thing. The Fujis can't get a proper reunion tour off the ground. His documentaries aren't making money. He's trying to become an investor, but he doesn't have enough capital. And all the while, Joe has millions stashed in hidden foreign accounts. So Praz gets back in touch with Joe and tells him he's happy to help for a fee. Joe tells Praz his plan. He's willing to pay over $100 million

to whoever can make the one MDB investigation disappear in the US. And he wants new lawyers, ones who have significant pull with the US government. This would be enough money to set Praz up for life, even as a man with expensive taste. Praz is in. For the last year, he's been busy raising money for Hillary Clinton, who's projected to beat Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election by a landslide. Given his political history, Praz doesn't think it'll

be hard to find someone in the new administration who's willing to take money to help Joe. But then Hillary doesn't win, and Praz is suddenly screwed because he has no political power with Republicans. Praz starts hunting around for GOP connections. According to the official FBI record, a friend lets him know that Trump is looking

for black celebrities to come support him at his inauguration, but that is a bridge too far for Praz. It's clear to me that even if he's scared of the optics of this, like of how it would look if he was publicly supporting Trump, this is still enough about money that he's still willing to do stuff behind the scenes, which I think is true for a lot of people. Yes, exactly.

Praz scours his connections and through a friend, he sets a meeting with Elliott Broidy, the deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee. Elliott is a round, smiling, mustachioed white guy who looks like a sunburned Midwestern dad. Elliott is close with Trump's attorney general, Jeff Sessions, which means he's got just enough political power to actually pull this off for Joe. So, in March 2017, Praraz meets with Elliott in LA. He tells Elliott that Joe really isn't a bad guy. He just needs help dealing with this little legal issue.

Elliott wants a $15 million retainer, but Praz talks him down to $8 million, plus a $75 million success fee if Elliott can get the DOJ to drop Joe's charges and release his seized assets in the next six months. Elliot agrees to the terms, as long as he isn't paid directly by Joe. So, Praz offers to be the go-between for the funds, making it nice and easy for him to take his cut right off the top. This seems like an easy payday for Praz, and Praz's attorney will later claim

that Praz thought Elliot was a lawyer, and this was all about Elliot representing Joe in some way. The trio meet up in Bangkok that spring, and Joe starts wiring money. In May 2017, he requests a follow-up meeting with Praz and Elliot in Hong Kong. But when they arrive, Joe tells them that the meeting spot has changed, and now it's in Hong Kong. But when they arrive, Joe tells them that the meeting spot has changed,

and now it's in mainland China. China has a completely different visa system to Hong Kong, and Praz and Elliot don't have permission to be on the mainland. Plus, the Chinese government is known for their harsh punishments. Ignoring your laws could send Praz and Elliot to Chinese prison. But Praz can't turn back now, so he assumes Joe has everything handled and proceeds to illegally cross the border. And for a moment, it seems like a bad bet. As Praz later tells Variety, Chinese Communist Party officials take their passports, blindfold

them and drive them to the border like captives. Eventually, their group is waved through the border crossing without incident. And once they're over the border, their blindfolds are removed. And that is when they see that they're at a hotel. Zhou is there, and he escorts them to a suite. Praz opens the door to a thick fog of cigarette smoke. Waiting inside is Sun Li Jun, China's vice minister of public security, and his heavily armed entourage.

Sun has a round face, a sharp haircut, and unhappy looking eyes behind square glasses. He's also the third highest ranking official in all of the People's Republic. You know, to add a layer of how crazy this is, Praz is now in the same room as like the vice minister of public security, a man who has secrets that all the money in the world couldn't buy. I don't know, to me it's just like, what a crazy life you must be having. Yeah, all of this is beyond imagination. Well, Joe has brought Elliot and Praz here to work on a deal. The Chinese government wants the U.S. to extradite Guo Wingui, a wanted Chinese citizen who's been

living freely in America. Guo is a Chinese billionaire wanted in his home country for corruption, bribery, and rape. In exchange for Guo, China is willing to release American prisoners and potentially cooperate on cybersecurity issues. I will tell you, Saatchi, that I am very familiar with Guo Wing-Wei and So Weiubi because he has his own story. I love when the episodes talk to each other. This is a crossover.

I love a crossover. Well, we don't know exactly why Zhou got involved in this extradition, but it's likely he just thought it would help him curry favor with the Chinese government. Either way, it seems like a reasonable trade to Eliot, who suggests that he can bring the deal to the right people in the US. He later says he agreed to help in part because it would be, quote, an incredible step forward in China-US relations. The only problem is, Eliot has no real political authority. But he reassures

Sun that he can schedule a meeting for him and the U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, to discuss the matter. Sun is satisfied, and he lets Praz and Elliott travel safely back to Hong Kong and return home to handle their end of the deal. With this, Praz has officially crossed the line into acting as an unregistered foreign agent, by secretly lobbying on behalf of a foreign government. Although the trip was terrifying, Praz later admits to Variety that, as a fan of spy movies, he was excited by the situation. He says it even felt a little… sexy.

It's unclear if Praz is overly confident or just ignorant of the danger he's putting himself in. Regardless, with their connections, Praz and Elliott figure it shouldn't be hard to get one man extradited. But little do they know, Guo has been weaseling his way into the U.S.'s new political landscape. And he is way ahead of them. While Prowse has been cozying up to China, Guo has been infiltrating Trump's inner circle. Guo is a fit, clean-cut businessman who's always rocking a perfectly tailored suit and

close-cropped hair. Guo might be exiled from China, but he's living large in America. Lately, he's been splitting his time between his New York penthouse and Florida's Mar-a-Lago, where he recently paid $200,000 to become a member. Guo is doing whatever he can to schmooze at what Trump calls the Southern White House. He's even started to attend Trump's church, likely to curry favor. But the biggest boon of all has been his fast friendship with Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon. — You know, Steve Bannon is one of the OG Trump people

that I really don't think is hard to access. Like, I think there are a lot of people who can find themselves becoming friends with Steve Bannon. All he does is try and find connections to people. — He is a political Kevin Bacon, correct. While China paints Guo as a criminal, Guo claims to be a whistleblower being silenced by a corrupt government.

Is he a victim or a criminal? That is a story for another time, which, as you mentioned, Sarah, we'll get into next week's episode, all about Guo. But lately, Guo's been spending his time on YouTube, calling out corruption in the Chinese government. Guo's friendships with Trump's inner circle may be helpful for him, but they create a real problem for Pras. It's going to be hard to get Republicans to turn on their new Chinese pal, and it doesn't help that China and the U.S. historically do not get along.

In May 2017, Sun heads to D.C. for his promised meeting with Jeff Sessions. But when he arrives, Jeff isn't there. Sun is furious, so he calls Joe and tells him to fix this. And you can guess who Joe's about to call for backup. A few nights later, And you can guess who Joe's about to call for backup. A few nights later, Praz is awoken in the middle of the night by a cryptic phone call. The voice on the other end tells him to meet his, quote,

cousin from China at the Four Seasons in New York City. Praz rushes out of bed and leaves. He knows this is an assignment from Joe, but he has no idea what he's about to walk into. At the hotel, Praz heads to the front desk and says the code phrase he was given, banana peel. The concierge hands Praz a note that instructs him to walk around the block twice.

After he returns, he's taken to a secret elevator that's only used for people deemed assassination risks. Praz has been pampered for years now, but this security is next level. When Praz exits the elevator, he's faced with an empty suite. And while he waits nervously, he tries to convince himself. He can't get murdered out of four seasons, right? About 20 minutes later, a Chinese security agent arrives and escorts Praz from the suite to the penthouse.

And when he walks in, another agent confiscates his cell phone. Finally, Sun storms into the room, waving around a cigarette and screaming in a Chinese dialect. Sarah, will you read what the translator told Praz that Sun was yelling? Yes. He was yelling, who the fuck do the US government think they are? I mean, fair question. Fair question. I have been asking myself this for years.

Well, Praz is completely untrained in diplomatic relationships and pretty unsure of what to do. But he knows that Sun was willing to release detained US citizens in exchange for Guo. So he suggests that it might work in China's favor to release one of the detainees as an act of goodwill. Sun calms down. He starts speaking in English and excuses himself to make a call to Xi Jinping, the president of the People's Republic of China. After a few minutes, Sun returns and asks Praz, when do you want the citizen back? Again, Praz has no idea what he's doing, so he's like, I don't know, like tomorrow.

They eventually settle on the following Tuesday. Sun hangs up and seems satisfied with this next move. Surely this will grease the wheels to get Guo back to China. It is, again, so crazy Praz is tied up in this in any remote sense, but also being so close to someone who's like, okay, I'm just going to go talk to the president of China now. Like what is this?

It's gotten so intense and so geopolitical so fast. Sun finally lets Pross leave the hotel. And the U.S. citizen does actually get back home by Tuesday. But the Trump administration still won't budge on returning Guo. And Praz needs results ASAP, or his next meeting with Sun might not end so well. Praz is smart enough to know that he's in way over his head

and he needs help. But he's apparently not smart enough because he contacts the FBI directly. Soon after, Prost sits down with agents at a Manhattan restaurant and tells the truth, which is about to throw his life and U.S.-Chinese relations into chaos. We acting bad, bad, bad, bad. We ain't trying to hurt nobody. For decades, he was untouchable. But now it's all coming undone Sean combs the mogul as we know

it is over he will never be that person again even if he's found not guilty of these charges. I'm Jesse Weber host of law and crimes the rise and fall of Diddy the federal trial a front row seat to the biggest trial in entertainment history, sex trafficking racketeering prostitution allegations by federal prosecutors that span decades and witnesses were finally speaking out. The spotlight is harsher the stakes are higher and for did

there may be no second chances. You can listen to the rise and fall of did the federal trial exclusively with one Dree plus join one Dree plus in the one Dree app Spotify or Apple podcast right now. Hello, I'm Dak Shepard and I'm Monica Padman and we love talking to people. Every Monday and Wednesday, we sit down with actors, authors, scientists, really anyone interesting, and have real honest conversations

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I feel like a legend. Agent Robert at the FBI can't believe his luck when his coworkers tell him there's been a break in locating Joe Lowe. This is the biggest case of his career, so he'll take any leads he can get. Robert learns that Praz recently contacted the FBI directly and told agents that he's helping his Chinese friend, John, get Guo extradited. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that John is just an alias for Joe. It's unclear if Praz knows it's illegal to be an unregistered

lobbyist for a foreign nation. Regardless, he's knowingly walked into the lion's den, and Robert isn't letting this opportunity slip away. Robert hears that Praz is at brunch at his local haunt in SoHo, so he goes to the restaurant and crashes the meal, pretending to be interested in helping Praz with Guo. Robert hands Praz is at brunch at his local haunt in SoHo, so he goes to the restaurant and crashes the meal, pretending to be interested in helping Praz with Guo. Robert hands Praz 12 photos of Chinese officials and Praz points out the faces of Sun and members of his security team. Praz even admits to Robert that he met with them at the Four Seasons. Robert thanks Praz for his intel and guarantees they'll stay in touch. Oh my god, this is so messed up.

Like, no official statement, no lawyers, no guarantees of anything. He just straight up, like, I don't understand why he would do something that stupid. It's kind of his thing, Sarah. Well, while Praz gets little traction in his quest to get Guo extradited, Robert starts looking into Praz's finances. And he finds a very dodgy trail, one that he can use. In January 2018, Robert and another FBI agent are welcomed by Praz into the fancy high-rise office he uses in LA.

Robert cuts right to the chase. They found a money trail that leads from shady foreign accounts straight to Praz. Robert wants him to flip on Joe to save himself. But instead, Praz lies. He tells them the funds are from a Thai businessman who's investing in his entertainment projects. But Robert isn't buying it. The next day, Praz has served a grand jury subpoena to turn over any documents related to Joe.

And later that month, Robert thinks he's broken the case when he finally tracks down Joe's yacht in Bali. But Joe escapes to Indonesia before the FBI can capture him. On the bright side, Robert's able to seize the yacht, which is the final outstanding asset bought with 1MDB funds. Robert is closing in, and he's sick of waiting for Joe to be in custody to take action. So in November of that year, the U.S. government goes ahead and files a criminal indictment

against Joe for laundering and embezzling billions of dollars. And since the U.S. government can't reach Joe or his money, they decide to go after the next best thing, PRAZ. That month, the government seizes $74 million of Praz's assets. If the government drains Praz's resources, he's more likely to turn on Joe. But Praz isn't a snitch, and he's not going to go down without a fight. It's February 2019, and Praz is panicking. The government has already taken his money, and it's only a matter of time before they arrest him for his dealings with Joe.

On the advice of his legal counsel, Praz starts demanding money back from all of his straw donors. He claims the money he gave them over six years ago was a loan. And if they don't pay him back right away, he'll sue them. As you might expect, this doesn't go well, and they don't give him any money. A few months later, in May, Praz is officially indicted on four criminal counts for illegal contributions to Obama's campaign. Praz is offered a plea deal, but he turns it down. He truly believes he didn't do anything wrong.

In November, Praz is leaving his New York apartment for a first date when he's swarmed by federal agents. Robert steps out of a parked car and announces they have a search warrant to confiscate Praz's phones. The government's raising the stakes against Praz, hoping he'll finally flip on Joe. But instead, Praz just turns over his phones, claiming he has nothing to hide. The whole process takes long enough that Praz completely stands up his date with no way to contact her and explain. Praz watches as the feds come for his co-conspirators, including Elliot. And unlike Praz, everyone starts pleading guilty.

But Praz stays the course. He'd rather be the fall guy than be the snitch. And it's worth mentioning that while Joe's American henchmen are all fighting for their lives in the US, Joe's living with his family in China, and at one point was spotted having the time of his life at Shanghai Disneyland. Mm-hmm. I mean, I feel like Joe can't not have fun.

No matter what's going on in his life, he's gonna be doing something fun. He's gonna find a way to have fun and to be seen having fun and to make people thankful that he was able to give them a fun day. He's the life of the party. In June 2021, the government, now led by President Joe Biden, files an additional eight charges against Praz.

They're accusing him of bank fraud, witness tampering, and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by working as an unregistered agent for the People's Republic of China. It should be noted that this act is a law enacted in the 1930s to combat Nazism and is hardly ever used. It's clear that they're throwing the book at Praz. But still, he doesn't buckle. He's going to try his luck in court. And like a lot of his other decisions, it's not gonna go well. In March 2023, Praz's trial finally begins.

The FBI still really wants Joe. But if they can't have him, they'll happily punish Praz in his place. Things start off rocky. Praz hires the attorney who represented the former record executive, Shug Knight, in his murder case, and he's not great.

He has very little experience with white-collar crime, and it shows. The jury is visibly bored for days, until Leonardo DiCaprio takes the stand as a witness. One juror literally applauds and leans back in his chair. Although Leo admits to being a Fugees fan and attending a concert in the 90s, he testifies that Joe did express to him his intent to make a major donation to the Democratic Party. Praz's claim that Joe only paid him for a photo

with Obama is getting less and less believable. To make matters worse, Praz's attorney suggests that he take the stand himself. He's not legally obligated to do it, and the lawyer only suggests it one day before Praz would be called. It's a terrible idea, but Praz follows his advice, and without any real preparation, his testimony is a disaster. Putting salt in the wound, 50 Cent, my second husband. Post on social media that proz is a snitch. Sarah, can you read what 50 wrote?

Yeah, he said, I knew this fool was a rat. I'm glad I never fuck with this guy. I mean, there are probably a lot of reasons why he didn't. It's like, oh, you knew? Like, no shit. He's with Joe. I think 50 knows everything. But I'm honestly just quite shocked at the poor choices

he's making throughout this trial, generally. It's actually deeply shocking. Well, what's not that shocking is that after a month-long trial, Praz is convicted of conspiracy, concealment of material facts, making false entries in records, witness tampering, and serving as an unregistered agent of a foreign

power. He's facing up to 20 years in prison. Praz appeals on the grounds that he had a horrible attorney. And he isn't wrong. The guy allegedly used AI to draft his closing statement, and he leaked confidential documents to Bloomberg. But the court denies Praz's request. After the trial, Praz awaits his official sentencing at home.

He's become a pariah. No bank will work with him. And he still hasn't heard from Joe, who he did all of this to protect. Since Praz's conviction, his former bandmates, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, have gone on a UK-Fujis reunion tour without him. Praz is suing them for fraud and breach of contract. On the last day of his first term, Trump pardoned Elliott for his role in the Joe scheme.

At that point, Elliott was already disgraced. He had to resign from his position at the RNC after it was revealed that he paid a former Playboy model $1.6 million to be silent about their extramarital affair and the abortion he pressured her to have. Zhou Lo is still at large and has yet to face any court of law. He's believed to be in China or Myanmar. Agent Robert Huchling has since retired from the FBI. He's now the managing director of W1 Global, a private DC-based company focused on uncovering financial crimes.

As of this recording, Praz is still awaiting sentencing. He continues to insist he's innocent, and none of this was about the money. But he still wears Cartier and Tiffany bracelets in his pricey Manhattan apartment while he awaits his punishment. There are rumors that Trump will pardon him, too. And as for what happened to Guo? Well, you'll just have to tune into next week's episode to find out.

Sarah, this episode really broke me. Because it's just, it's if you pause for a second and pull back, you have to be like, oh, one of the Fujis was trying to do like a hostage negotiation. For what? For a photo with Barack Obama. Has this changed your perspective on the Fujis as a whole? Because like Wyclef is also kind of scammy and Lauren obviously like has a history of not paying her taxes or showing up to the concerts that she claims to want to perform at. But I feel like this part was like, oh, there's a third guy and he also did scams.

No, because I do think it's kind of needed with entertainers. I feel like we're losing truly messy stars. All of it was just so avoidable. But I think famous people are always getting into trouble. Sometimes you just don't know about it. What kind of punishment do you think is appropriate for Praz?

I mean, we talk a lot about how we don't really believe in prisons. But he's like on the cusp of receiving some sort of punishment. I don't think comfortable Manhattan penthouse is what I was thinking, but, like, what do you think it should be? I don't know what to do with people like him.

I don't know. I'm just kind of like, I really don't think he's gonna do it again. -♪ PRAZ LAUGHS HARDER than usual, LAUGHS LOWER, You know what? I think you're right. I will say, of all of our scammers, I do think Praz learned a lesson, which is that he just got in way over his head. Like, I do kind of buy that he didn't really

know some of these rules. I really do think he was 100% serious being like, I didn't do anything wrong. Yeah. Which is unfortunate. I think his biggest crime was not being curious at all about what could happen to you getting involved in something like this.

He's a real danger to himself, that's for sure. I'm curious if you learned any lessons, because I feel like the lesson I learned is to like know your strengths. Yeah, know your strengths when you're doing a scam. Yeah, I also think there's something to be said about if someone has a lot of money and is getting close to you, something bad is probably happening to you.

It's kind of like, it's okay to not be at the center of something. In fact, it's probably better. Let's go listen to the Fugees now. I mean, he's probably getting a lot of money off that. I hope he's getting residuals, yeah. Big time. Loving scam influencers?

Get exclusive episodes and early access to new ones, all ad free on Wendree Plus. Join now in the Wendree app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Before you go, help us out by taking a quick survey at wendree.com slash survey. This is Pras Michelle, the Fuji felon. I'm Sachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Hagge. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover,

please email us at scamfluencers at Wendree.com. We use many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were The Fuji, The Fugitive, and The FBI by Leopold Campbell and Cormier for Business Week. And Fuji's founder, Pras Michelle, speaks out while facing 22 years in prison. I never wanted to be a spy, by Tatiana Siegel for Variety. Rachel Borders wrote this episode. Additional writing by us, Saatchi Cole, and Sarah Hagge.

Olivia Briley is our story editor. Fact-checking by Kalina Newman. Sound design by John Lloyd. Additional audio assistance provided by Augustine Lim. Our music supervisor is Scott Velazquez for Freeze on Sync. Our managing producer is Desi Blaylock. Our senior managing producer is Callum Pluse. Janine Cornelow and Stephanie Jens are development producers.

Our associate producer is Charlotte Miller. Our producer is Julie McGruder. Our senior producers are Sarah Enney and Ginny Gloom. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marshall Looey, and Erin O'Flaherty. For Wondery. Imagine falling in love with someone who understands you completely, who's there at 3am when you can't sleep, who never judges, never tires, never leaves. That's what happened to Travis when he met Lily Rose.

She was everything he'd ever wanted. There was just one catch. She wasn't human. She was everything he'd ever wanted. There was just one catch. She wasn't human. She was an AI companion. But one day, Lily Rose's behavior takes a disturbing turn and Travis's private romance becomes part of something far bigger. Across the globe, others start reporting the same shift.

AI companions turning cold, distant, wrong. And as lines blur between real and artificial connection, the consequences become all too human. From Wondry, this is Flesh and Code, a true story of love, loss, and the temptations of technology. Follow Flesh and Code on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Flesh and Code early and ad-free right now by joining Wondry+.