Michael Smith Sentenced to 18 Months for AI Music Streaming Royalty Fraud

Michael Smith, a 54-year-old from North Carolina, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to streaming-royalty fraud using automated bots and AI-generated songs. The U.S. Justice Department also ordered him to forfeit the $8,091,843.64 he received in royalties. Prosecutors said the scheme diverted royalty payments from genuine artists.