Musician Mike Smith Receives 18-Month Term for Bot-Driven Royalty Fraud

American musician Mike Smith was ordered to serve 18 months in prison on Tuesday, October 6, for employing automated bots to inflate music streams and obtain millions of dollars in royalties, a federal court in Manhattan ruled. Smith had entered a guilty plea in March to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to prosecutors, between 2017 and 2024 he deployed automated bots that produced millions of fake streams. He additionally used that technology to promote tracks made with artificial intelligence, generating about $8 million in royalty payments. Under his plea deal, Smith consented to give up $8 million. After his prison term ends, he will be placed under supervision for two years. At the sentencing hearing, Smith, a father of six, grew emotional and said his conduct had wronged the music community. "By committing this crime, I have failed miserably," he told the court. Prosecutors sought a 46-month prison term, while defense lawyers asked for probation. The judge ultimately imposed an 18-month sentence behind bars.