spent money on purchases like a ferrari, shopping at versace, and over $27,000 at the seminole hard rock casino near miamidon't apologize for the lifestyle because this is something that you've been leading for a long time now? >> that's in my business. a luxury car is what is in the business. clothing is in the business. hair, makeup, style, travel expenses, those are business expenses for the music business. >> reporter: smith pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and served a year in federal prison. his mother was never charged. blue maintains the doj targeted him partly because of his profession. >> i'm a public figure. for a headline, they prosecuted me. >> with link analysis, on that case alone, 30 people were convicted. 30 different people in that same ring. so what do we say about the other 29 people that were in that ring? it was no singling out of anything. >> reporter: smith, who now performs under the name big money blue, wrote a song and produced a video about his time in federal prison. ♪ today he is adjusting to life as a convicted felon, trying to pay back the $1 million he owes t