Noah Michael Urban, or as he is better known online as King Bob, has pleaded guilty to federal charges, bringing an end to his notorious career as a leaker of music. The 19-year-old from Palm Coast, Florida, pleaded guilty on April 5, 2025, to wire fraud, conspiring to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Urban was known to gain widespread attention worldwide through leaking songs from famous artists such as Playboi Carti, Ariana Grande, and Lil Uzi Vert to the ire of the music industry.
Urban’s activities shook the music industry. He was responsible for leaking a number of A-list tracks, including Playboi Carti’s “24 songs,” “Celine,” and “She Might,” as well as Ariana Grande and Lil Uzi Vert’s unreleased tracks. The leaking impacted well-laid plans to roll out albums and cost artists and their labels substantial sums of money. Ariana Grande expressed her frustration in September 2023, stating,
“this is so disheartening. i was going to refer back to this hook to utilize sometime. idk how people are continuing to do this but please please stop.”
The financial and emotional strain on artists has been a running narrative in the repercussions from Urban’s leaking.
While Urban’s guilty plea addresses financial crimes, specifically the theft of $800,000 in cryptocurrency from five victims between August 2022 and March 2023, his public persona is firmly tied to his music leaks. Authorities believe he employed cybercrime tactics, such as hacking or identity theft, to access unreleased music files. He then sold these tracks to others who released them online, amplifying the damage. Though the legal charges focus on his cryptocurrency scheme, it’s his role as a music leaker that cemented his infamy.
Urban’s run came to an end with his arrest in January 2024, a joint operation involving the FBI. During the raid, he reportedly attempted to wipe his computer, potentially destroying evidence, including unreleased music files. This dramatic moment was a turning point in the case, leading to his eventual plea.
As part of his plea deal, Urban has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his financial crimes. His sentencing is scheduled for approximately 75 days from his plea date, where he faces severe penalties: up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge and a mandatory minimum of 2 years for aggravated identity theft.
