# Man Sentenced for AI Bot Streaming Fraud

> A North Carolina man gets 18 months prison for using bots to steal royalties from AI songs.
- Title: Man Sentenced for AI Bot Streaming Fraud · Pitchfork
- Summary: A North Carolina man gets 18 months prison for using bots to steal royalties from AI songs. Mike Smith, a musician, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for…
- Keywords: mike smith, ai songs, bot streams, federal charges, royalties, streaming fraud, north carolina, music, culture, Man, Sentenced, Bot
- Source: Pitchfork — https://pitchfork.com/story/man-sentenced-to-prison-for-bot-streams-of-ai-songs
- Author: Kiana Mickles
- Published: 2026-10-07T17:46:36.789+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mike smith, ai songs, bot streams, federal charges, royalties, streaming fraud, north carolina, music, culture
## Mike Smith sentenced
A North Carolina man received 18 months in prison for collecting millions in royalties from bot streams of AI-generated songs.
## Smith used bots from 2017 to 2024
Mike Smith streamed his own music and AI-generated songs using thousands of bots between 2017 and 2024.
## Smith pled guilty to wire fraud
Smith agreed to a plea deal for conspiracy to commit wire fraud after his lawyers argued for probation and prosecutors pushed for 46 months.
## Smith forfeits $8 million
As part of his plea deal, Smith must forfeit $8 million in streaming proceeds and serve two years of supervised release.
## U.S. Attorney condemns fraud
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said Smith robbed millions in royalties by flooding platforms with bots and fake songs.
## Streaming fraud affects artists
Smaller artists face royalty payout issues with Spotify and Apple Music due to their pro-rata streaming models.
## Key takeaway

Mike Smith, a musician, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for fraudulently collecting millions in royalties from AI-generated songs streamed by bots.