From Stereogum · · 40s
Botter Sentenced To Prison In First Criminal Streaming Fraud Case
Mike Smith gets 18 months prison for AI-generated music fraud.
In brief
Mike Smith gets 18 months prison for AI-generated music fraud. Mike Smith, a 54-year-old North Carolina singer-songwriter, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding streaming services with AI-generated songs and bot accounts. Originally reported by Stereogum.
Mike Smith
Mike Smith, a 54-year-old North Carolina singer-songwriter, pleaded guilty to defrauding streaming services with AI-generated tracks and bot accounts.
Prison Sentence
Smith received an 18-month prison term for conspiracy to commit wire fraud after seven years of collecting $8 million in fake royalties.
Forfeiture Order
Smith must pay $8,091,843.64 in forfeiture and serve two years of supervised release after streaming 80.9 million AI songs on YouTube Music in April 2023.
The short version
Mike Smith, a 54-year-old North Carolina singer-songwriter, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding streaming services with AI-generated songs and bot accounts.
