Michael Peter Fay (born May 30, 1975) is a US citizen who was the subject of international attention in 1994 when he was sentenced to six strokes of the cane in Singapore for theft and vandalism at age 18. Although caning is a routine court sentence in Singapore, its unfamiliarity to Americans caused controversy, and Fay's case was believed to be the first caning involving an American citizen.[1] The number of cane strokes in Fay's sentence was ultimately reduced from six to four after U.S. officials requested leniency.