Latest news with #Jamaican-American
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Rapper Sean Kingston sentenced to 3 years for fraud scheme
Prosecutors said Kingston and his mother would get victims to give them products and, when payment was due, would send them fake wire receipts. Photo: file Rapper Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison in a million-dollar fraud scheme, the BBC reported. The "Beautiful Girls" singer was convicted earlier this year, along with his mother, in a wire fraud scheme where they stole luxury items including watches, a 232-inch LED TV, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade and furniture, exceeding $1m (£738,000). Prosecutors said Kingston — whose legal name is Kisean Anderson — and his mother used the rapper's celebrity status to get victims to give them products and when payment was due would send them fake wire receipts. The singer apologised to the court before being sentenced and said he'd learned from his actions, according to US media. His mother, Janice Turner, was sentenced in July to five years in prison. The Jamaican-American rapper, who is also known for hits like Fire Burning, Take You There and Eenie Meenie, which featured singer Justin Bieber, was arrested in 2024 in California, where he was set to perform at an Army training base in the Mojave Desert. His arrest happened after authorities raided his home near Fort Lauderdale, where his mother was taken into custody. Federal prosecutors said Kingston reached out to victims on social media, saying he wanted to purchase luxury goods and then invited them to his various homes in South Florida. Kingston promised these victims to post their products on his social media and sometimes offered to refer their products to other "high profile celebrities", federal prosecutors said. But when payment was due for the products, he or his mother sent them fake wire receipts that falsely showed they'd sent over the money, prosecutors said at trial. Authorities said most victims were never paid, though several did receive payment after law enforcement got involved or lawsuits were filed. A key piece of evidence shown at trial were text messages between Kingston and his mother discussing the fake payment receipts, according to CBS, the BBC's news partner. "I told you to make [a] fake receipt," he wrote in one. Kingston's attorney Zeljka Bozanic said the singer was "a soft guy who grew up poor when he rose to fame overnight". He said Kingston still had the mentality of a teenager and didn't know how to run his bank accounts or business. He will begin serving his time immediately.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
'Beautiful Girls' rapper Sean Kingston gets jail time in US$1 million fraud case
FORT LAUDERDALE: Sean Kingston, famous for his hit song "Beautiful Girls," was sentenced to three and a half years in jail in connection with a US$1 million fraud scheme that also involved his mother, reports said. According to CBS News, the Jamaican-American rapper and his mother, Janice Turner, were each convicted in March by a South Florida jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Reports said the 35-year-old artiste, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and Turner exploited his celebrity status to acquire luxury items, including a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, a 232-inch LED television, watches, and other high-end goods, by sending sellers fake wire transfers instead of paying. Kingston and Turner were arrested in May last year after a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in Southwest Ranches, Florida, where Turner was arrested. Kingston was later arrested at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California's Mojave Desert, where he had been performing. The New York Times reported that a few months before the arrests, a company that sells high-end entertainment systems filed a suit against Kingston, accusing him of fraud and failing to pay for a 232-inch television and an advanced sound system installed in his home in September 2023. The company claimed that Kingston had promised to use his music industry connections to arrange promotional videos featuring Justin Bieber in exchange for a reduced down payment. However, the videos were never delivered. According to the lawsuit, Kingston had paid only US$30,000 of the US$115,000 owed for the entertainment setup. The case remains ongoing.
Roya News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Roya News
Rapper Sean Kingston sentenced to 3.5 years in prison
Rapper Sean Kingston has been handed a federal prison sentence of three and a half years after being convicted in a high-profile fraud case involving more than USD 1 million worth of stolen luxury goods. The Jamaican-American artist, best known for his 2007 hit Beautiful Girls, was found guilty earlier this year alongside his mother, Janice Turner, for orchestrating a wire fraud operation. Prosecutors said the pair acquired expensive items, including designer watches, a massive 232-inch LED television, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and high-end furniture, by leveraging Kingston's celebrity status and then falsifying payments. According to court documents, Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother provided victims with fake wire transfer receipts once payments were due. 'I told you to make [a] fake receipt,' Kingston wrote in one text message to his mother, which prosecutors presented as key evidence at trial. Turner received a five-year prison sentence in July. Before the judge issued his ruling, Kingston expressed remorse in court. He apologized and told the court that he had learned from his mistakes, US media reported. The scheme began unraveling in 2024 when authorities raided Kingston's Florida home near Fort Lauderdale. Turner was taken into custody during that operation, while Kingston himself was arrested in California, where he was scheduled to perform at an Army base in the Mojave Desert. Investigators said Kingston often contacted victims through social media, claiming he wanted to purchase luxury items. He invited them to his homes in South Florida, promising to promote their products on his social platforms or connect them with 'high profile celebrities.' But instead of actual payments, fake wire receipts were sent, leaving many victims unpaid until law enforcement or civil lawsuits forced partial compensation. Kingston's lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, argued that the singer was 'a soft guy who grew up poor when he rose to fame overnight' and that he lacked the financial maturity to properly manage his affairs. Kingston, who also scored chart success with tracks like Fire Burning, Take You There, and Eenie Meenie featuring Justin Bieber, will begin serving his sentence immediately.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
US rapper Sean Kingston sentenced to 3.5 years for fraud
US rapper Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison in a million-dollar fraud scheme. The Beautiful Girls singer was convicted earlier this year, along with his mother, in a wire fraud scheme where they stole luxury items including watches, a 232-inch LED TV, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade and furniture, exceeding $1m (€850,000). The Fire Burning singer, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson and his mother used the rapper's celebrity status to get victims to give them products and when payment was due would send them fake wire receipts. The Eenie Meenie singer apologised to the court before being sentenced and said he'd learned from his actions, according to US media. His mother, Janice Turner, was sentenced in July to five years in prison. The Jamaican-American rapper was arrested in 2024 in California, where he was set to perform at an Army training base in the Mojave Desert. His arrest occurred after authorities raided his home near Fort Lauderdale in Florida, where his mother was taken into custody. Federal prosecutors said Kingston reached out to victims on social media, saying he wanted to purchase luxury goods and then invited them to his various homes in South Florida. Kingston promised these victims to post their products on his social media and sometimes offered to refer their products to other "high profile celebrities", federal prosecutors said. But when payment was due for the products, he or his mother sent them fake wire receipts that falsely showed they'd sent over the money, prosecutors said at trial. Authorities said most victims were never paid, though several did receive payment after law enforcement got involved or lawsuits were filed. A key piece of evidence shown at trial were text messages between Kingston and his mother discussing the fake payment receipts, according to US news outlet CBS. "I told you to make [a] fake receipt," he wrote in one. Kingston's lawyer Zeljka Bozanic said the singer was "a soft guy who grew up poor when he rose to fame overnight". He said Kingston still had the mentality of a teenager and didn't know how to run his bank accounts or business.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- 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.
