AI Music Fraudster Gets 18 Months in Prison, $8M Forfeiture
Michael Smith used bots and AI-generated songs to generate fraudulent streaming royalties, according to a U.S. Department of Justice case.
Michael Smith, a 54-year-old from North Carolina, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a music streaming royalty fraud scheme and ordered to forfeit $8,091,843.64 in royalty payments, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Smith pleaded guilty to the fraud in March.
He used automated bots and AI-generated songs to generate fraudulent streaming royalties.
In 2017, Smith began automating thousands of accounts to stream his own songs, according to the facts of the case.
Quick answers
How long was Michael Smith sentenced to prison?
Smith was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
How much did Michael Smith have to forfeit?
He was ordered to forfeit $8,091,843.64 in royalty payments.
What did Michael Smith do?
He used automated bots and AI-generated songs to generate fraudulent streaming royalties, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.