Sean Kingston sentenced to three years in federal prison for million-dollar fraud scheme
The Jamaican-American artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was convicted earlier this year alongside his mother, Janice Turner. Prosecutors said the pair carried out a wire fraud operation in which they obtained luxury items—including high-end watches, a 232-inch LED television, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and expensive furniture—worth more than $1 million.
Authorities explained that Kingston and his mother exploited the rapper's celebrity status to secure goods. They would promise payment but instead sent fraudulent wire transfer receipts that falsely showed funds had been delivered. Some victims never received payment, while others were compensated only after legal action or law enforcement intervention.
Kingston addressed the court before sentencing, apologizing and saying he had learned from his mistakes, according to US media reports. His mother received a five-year prison sentence in July.
Kingston, best known for hits such as Beautiful Girls, Fire Burning, and Eenie Meenie with Justin Bieber, was arrested in 2024 while preparing for a performance in California. The arrest came after authorities raided his Florida home, where Turner was taken into custody.
During the trial, prosecutors presented text messages exchanged between Kingston and his mother discussing falsified payment confirmations. One message reportedly read: 'I told you to make [a] fake receipt,' according to evidence highlighted by CBS News.
In defense, Kingston's attorney Zeljka Bozanic described the singer as 'a soft guy' who rose to fame quickly and lacked the maturity to manage his finances responsibly. The lawyer argued Kingston's actions stemmed from poor judgment rather than calculated criminal intent.
Kingston will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Sean Kingston sentenced to three years in federal prison for million-dollar fraud scheme
Rapper Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for his role in a million-dollar fraud scheme, according to a report from BBC News. The Jamaican-American artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was convicted earlier this year alongside his mother, Janice Turner. Prosecutors said the pair carried out a wire fraud operation in which they obtained luxury items—including high-end watches, a 232-inch LED television, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and expensive furniture—worth more than $1 million. Authorities explained that Kingston and his mother exploited the rapper's celebrity status to secure goods. They would promise payment but instead sent fraudulent wire transfer receipts that falsely showed funds had been delivered. Some victims never received payment, while others were compensated only after legal action or law enforcement intervention. Kingston addressed the court before sentencing, apologizing and saying he had learned from his mistakes, according to US media reports. His mother received a five-year prison sentence in July. Kingston, best known for hits such as Beautiful Girls, Fire Burning, and Eenie Meenie with Justin Bieber, was arrested in 2024 while preparing for a performance in California. The arrest came after authorities raided his Florida home, where Turner was taken into custody. During the trial, prosecutors presented text messages exchanged between Kingston and his mother discussing falsified payment confirmations. One message reportedly read: 'I told you to make [a] fake receipt,' according to evidence highlighted by CBS News. In defense, Kingston's attorney Zeljka Bozanic described the singer as 'a soft guy' who rose to fame quickly and lacked the maturity to manage his finances responsibly. The lawyer argued Kingston's actions stemmed from poor judgment rather than calculated criminal intent. Kingston will begin serving his sentence immediately.
1724762585-0%2FUntitled-design-(11)1724762585-0-640x480.webp&w=3840&q=100)
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Sean Kingston seeks leniency ahead of wire fraud sentencing in federal court
Rapper and singer Sean Kingston is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after he and his mother were found guilty of wire fraud and grand theft involving over $1 million. Kingston, 35, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was convicted alongside his mother, Janice Turner, in May 2024. The two were accused of orchestrating a long-running fraud scheme targeting luxury businesses. According to federal prosecutors, Kingston and Turner used the rapper's celebrity status to deceive high-end retailers into delivering goods—including luxury cars, jewelry, and electronics—without receiving payment. The indictment stated that fraudulent wire transfers were used to make the transactions appear legitimate, but the funds never cleared. The fraudulent activities allegedly continued for several years until March 2024. Among the defrauded businesses were a luxury jewelry store, an upscale bed manufacturer, an exotic car dealership, and a premium microLED television company. Kingston, who rose to fame in 2007 with his Billboard-topping hit 'Beautiful Girls,' was arrested in May following a SWAT raid at his Florida residence. He was later placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, while Turner, 63, was sentenced in July to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In advance of his sentencing, Kingston has expressed remorse and is requesting a sentence below the federal advisory guidelines. According to court filings, he is seeking leniency, emphasizing his regret for his actions and his willingness to make amends. Since his breakout success, Kingston has released three studio albums, though his legal troubles have overshadowed recent efforts to revitalize his music career. The sentencing hearing will determine how much time Kingston will serve in prison, bringing closure to a high-profile fraud case that has drawn national attention.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Lil Yachty slammed over George Floyd lyric previewed during livestream performance
Rapper Lil Yachty is facing widespread criticism after previewing a song on streamer PlaqueBoyMax's channel that included a controversial lyric referencing George Floyd, whose 2020 death in Minneapolis police custody sparked global protests. During the August 14 livestream, the Atlanta-born artist — real name Miles McCollum — rapped, 'Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd,' while others in the room nodded along. The line, which appeared to make a sexual joke using the circumstances of Floyd's killing, quickly drew sharp condemnation across social media. 'This is so ass dawg. You can do better than this,' one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Another asked, 'Mocking one of the most horrific deaths in American history… Why green-light an ignorant bar like this?' Several commenters compared the lyric to past rap controversies, including Lil Wayne's 2013 Emmett Till reference and his 2009 Rodney King lyric, while others called Yachty 'one of the worst rappers' to reach mainstream success. Stephen Jackson calls out Lil Yachty over George Floyd lyrics: "Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd" -Lil Yachty — SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) August 15, 2025 Stephen Jackson, a former NBA player and close friend of Floyd, was tagged in multiple posts criticizing the lyric. One commenter wrote, 'We do not support bunk gibberish like this in the community. All blessings to King George Floyd, his family, and everyone against this disrespectful nonsense.' Floyd, 46, died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes during an arrest. The incident, captured on video, prompted nationwide and global protests against police brutality and racial injustice. As of Thursday, Lil Yachty had not publicly addressed the backlash, adding to the ongoing debate about accountability and boundaries in music lyrics.
