Sean Kingston's Lawyers Asking for House Arrest in Fraud Case: 'Most of the Victims Were Paid Back'
In Florida-filed court docs viewed by Complex, the 'Beautiful Girls' singer's legal team cites several past cases as precedent for their argument that deterring their client from additional offenses 'can effectively be accomplished by a reasonable term of home detention.' In fact, as Kingston's lawyers further argue, 'in many instances, home confinement or house arrest is, in itself, a substantial punishment' for crimes of this nature.
As prosecutors detailed in April, Kingston, born Kisean Anderson, and his mother, Janice Turner, were both convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Starting in April 2023 and lasting for just over a year, prosecutors said, Kingston and Turner ultimately defrauded luxury vendors out of more than $1 million.
'Most of the victims were paid back and the restitution owed is minimal in comparison to the loss for which Mr. Anderson is being held responsible,' lawyers wrote in a sentencing memo dated Aug. 11.
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Character letters have also been filed ahead of Kingston's scheduled Aug. 15 sentencing. Among them are letters to the judge from Kingsotn's sister, fellow recording artist Iyaz, a Fort Lauderdale-based grocery store cashier who says she's observed Kingston as someone who's 'always willing to lend a hand,' a local delivery driver who cited similar observations, an unhoused individual who says the singer provided him with food and clothing, and several more.
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CBS News
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A Fairfield mother said her worst nightmare was realized Wednesday when she went to pick up her child from his first day at Cleo Gordon Elementary School, and to her surprise, he was not there. Corinna Goode-Lavern says her 5-year-old son Tristan was not among the group of students waiting for their parents when she pulled in to pick him up. The children were not behind the gate, but standing on the parking lot sidewalk with their teacher. "It's scary to know our littles aren't safe at school," Goode-Lavern said. She says the teacher told her they did not know where her son was and would have to check the cameras to see if he even walked out with them. Goode-Lavern says she started frantically searching for her son across the school's campus with help from one of the front office workers. After having no luck finding him, Goode-Lavern turned her attention to the busy E. Tabor Avenue just in front of the school. "I actually had a panic attack in the car searching for him. My thoughts were, my son is gone forever. Where could he have gone? A five-year-old wandering, someone is going to pick him up or worse, someone is going to hit him," Goode-Lavern said. She called her husband in a panic. As it turns out, Goode-Lavern says that Tristan got scared while waiting for her to pick him up. He walked away from the pickup line and all the way home, a 12-minute walk. While she was driving through the neighborhood, a familiar face brought good news. "My local mailman actually stopped me and said, 'Hey, I seen your child walking, he is safe on your porch.' My son walked 8 long blocks across 7 streets alone as a 5-year-old. And nobody knew," she said. "When I got to him and he was crying, he said, 'Mommy, I looked both ways before I crossed.' " Goode-Lavern says the mailman made sure her son Tristan sat on the front porch and opened his lunch box to get him a snack. While he was running his route he was keeping an eye on the child, about to call 911. "I was like, 'I appreciate you so much. You made sure my son was safe and nobody else could do that for us,' " Goode-Lavern said. She said she confronted the district on Thursday, demanding change and ultimately pulled her child from the school. She feels there was not enough urgency by the staff or her child's teacher when it was discovered he was missing. Tristan will start at a different school within the district on Monday, but Goode-Lavern says she is working to get him moved out of the district entirely. In a statement, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District leaders told CBS13: "Students' safety and well-being is always our top priority. We are aware of the incident involving a kindergarten student at Cleo Gordon on the first day of school. While the student was safely reunited with their family, this should not have occurred. District officials met with the family to discuss the incident. The school reviewed the circumstances and immediately updated its dismissal procedures, providing additional guidance for staff to reinforce protocols. We are taking this matter very seriously. Out of respect for the privacy of the student and family, we cannot provide any more details at this time." When asked what changes exactly were being implemented, the district gave this response: "Cleo Gordon Elementary has refined its dismissal procedures for kindergarten students to further support an orderly and safe end to the school day. Staff continue to use clipboards to confirm authorized pick-up, and now students remain behind the gates with staff until their guardian arrives. Parents and guardians park and meet students at the gates, rather than having the kindergarteners walk out to the pick-up area. These updates build on existing safety practices for our youngest learners."
CBS News
28 minutes ago
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Rochester woman receives stayed sentence for role in murder of man whose remains were found in tote
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Associated Press
28 minutes ago
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RushTok backlash: Why sororities aren't letting prospects post
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Kylan Darnell became an overnight celebrity in the TikTok niche that documents the glitzy, ritualistic recruitment process for sororities. As a 21-year-old rising senior four years later, she's taking more of her sorority life offline. Darnell has until now been the embodiment of RushTok, a week-long marathon that has teens at schools around the country meticulously documenting their efforts to land a cherished spot in a sorority during the colorful, girly and enigmatic recruitment process known as rush week. Reactions to the content that once catapulted her to fame — depicting her life as a Zeta Tau Alpha member at the University of Alabama — had become so negative that it was affecting her mental health, she said. 'This year it was just like a whole different level of hate,' Darnell said. Citing a need to protect prospects from harassment, many sororities have made similar moves, issuing a de facto ban against talking to the press or posting on social media during rush week at Alabama, where almost 13,000 students participate in the nation's largest on-campus Greek life. A centuries-old tradition Across the country, rush is typically a 10-day event where 'prospective new members' try out sororities through rounds of activities prescribing a strict slate of outfits and etiquette. In the lead-up, girls often submit 'social resumes' and letters of recommendation from sorority alums. Participation often requires an eye-opening price tag. After spending sometimes tens of thousands of dollars on outfits, makeup and plane tickets, each of this week's 2,600 recruits paid $550 to participate. It's non-refundable if they don't get picked. If accepted, they'll pay an average $8,400 a semester to live in the sorority house, or $4,100 if they live elsewhere, according to the Alabama Panhellenic Association. The pressure can be so intense that an industry of consultants now helps girls navigate the often mysterious criteria for landing a desired sorority. Some charge up to $10,000 for months of services that can begin in high school. Throughout rush, many events are invite-only. At any point, girls can get a dreaded call informing them they've been dropped — that a sorority is no longer interested in letting them join. Matches are finally made on bid day as prospects rank top choices and sororities make offers. Morgan Cadenhead, now 20, gained such an audience on RushTok despite being dropped that she covered most of her tuition with income from social media. Then came the social cost as she was slammed online for criticizing Greek life. Now the marketing major — featured on Lifetime's 'Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush!' — said she's looking for offline work. A zealous TikTok following A fixation with rush was renewed when sororities resumed in-person recruiting after the pandemic. Social media became flooded with 'outfit of the day' and 'get ready with me' videos showing sorority members and recruits in well-lit rooms, sometimes flaunting exorbitantly priced designer wear or pieces purchased on Amazon, always precisely curated. Alabama's Greek life got attention before, when its traditionally white sororities racially integrated, accepting their first Black members in 2013. Targeted by protests following allegations of racial discrimination, the university agreed with the Justice Department in 2016 to encourage diversity. Today, Black students outside of traditionally Black sororities and fraternities represent 2% of the total Greek membership, the university website says. Meanwhile, online attention to rush has led to books, a polarizing documentary and the reality television series, widening the appeal of sororities in the South in particular, according to Lorie Stefaneli, a New York City-based consultant who flies to Tuscaloosa each year for rush. Stefaneli coaches girls from around the country, and about a third of her clients enroll at Alabama. She says many are drawn by the vibrant depictions of sisterhood, showing female friendships that can ensure girls feel seen and supported. 'That's the reason why a lot of them want to go to Alabama, is because they see it on TikTok,' Stefaneli said. Recruits told to stop posting — or else If they gain enough followers to become social influencers, RushTok participants can earn ad revenue and brand deals. Darnell's posts brought her financial independence, more than covering the $58,000 it costs her annually to attend Alabama from out-of-state. Rush can be fun and help girls build confidence, but it's also an 'emotional rollercoaster,' especially for girls who feel they need to reveal themselves to a massive audience, Stefaneli said. She answers phone calls at all hours of the night during rush week. 'I'm literally a therapist, I'm talking these girls down from a ledge,' she said. Numerous incoming freshmen told The Associated Press this week that they were expressly prohibited from speaking with the media or even posting about rush at Alabama. Darnell said the most selective 'Old Row' houses will automatically drop prospects who do. 'Now a lot of girls just come to the university to be influencers,' she said. 'It kind of gets in the way of sisterhood.' Some incoming freshmen — including Darnell's 19-year-old sister Izzy, with a vast social media following of her own — have chosen to post anyway, satisfying a demand that can reach millions of views within days. Izzy Darnell — who wouldn't share her choices for sorority ahead of Saturday's bid day — said her older sister's acumen has equipped her to navigate criticism and potentially predatory business deals. But she worries about how other girls might handle the fame and money. 'I just fear what some girls will do because they think they have to,' Izzy Darnell said.
