Man gets 18 months in first-ever US AI music streaming fraud case that netted $8M
emmanuelvivier · x · 2026-10-09
Michael Smith of North Carolina was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the first-ever federal criminal music streaming fraud case.
- Smith used AI-generated fake songs and automated bots posing as listeners to defraud streaming platforms of roughly $8.1 million in royalties
- He pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy; Judge John G. Koeltl also imposed two years of supervised release and full restitution
- Prosecutors said the scheme robbed real artists of royalty payments
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