Latest news with #BeautifulGirls
Hypebeast
an hour ago
- Hypebeast
Sean Kingston Handed 3.5 Year Prison Sentence in $1 Million USD Fraud Scheme
Summary SingerSean Kingstonhas been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for his role in a$1 million USD fraud scheme. The sentence was handed down on Friday in a Florida courtroom after he was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Kingston's mother, Janice Turner, was also convicted in the scheme and was sentenced to five years in prison last month. According to federal prosecutors, Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, leveraged his celebrity status on social media to defraud victims. He would promise to promote their products, which included a bulletproof Escalade, luxury watches, and a massive TV, and then send them fake wire receipts for the merchandise. When the funds never cleared, Kingston would refuse to pay. During the sentencing, the 35-year-old artist, known for his 2007 hit 'Beautiful Girls,' apologized to the judge and said he had learned from his actions. The judge ordered him to be taken into custody immediately. Kingston and his mother were initially arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in suburban Fort Lauderdale.
ARN News Center
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ARN News Center
Sean Kingston jailed for $1 million fraud scheme
Rapper Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison after being convicted in a million-dollar fraud scheme involving luxury goods, fake payments, and abuse of his celebrity status. Kingston, best known for hits like Beautiful Girls, Fire Burning, and Eenie Meenie, was convicted earlier this year alongside his mother, Janice Turner, in a wire fraud case that spanned multiple victims and more than $1 million in stolen goods. Federal prosecutors said Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson and his mother lured victims using the rapper's fame. They approached sellers of luxury items online, promising exposure and referrals to other celebrities in exchange for high-end products. Among the stolen items were luxury watches, designer furniture, a 232-inch LED TV, and a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade. Instead of paying, prosecutors said the pair sent fake wire transfer receipts, convincing victims they had completed the purchases. Many were never paid, though some received compensation after law enforcement became involved or legal action was taken. Kingston was arrested in 2024 in California, just before a scheduled performance at an Army base in the Mojave Desert. His mother was taken into custody during a simultaneous raid at his Fort Lauderdale home. Turner was sentenced in July to five years in prison. According to trial evidence, including text messages between the rapper and his mother, Kingston was directly involved in instructing the creation of fake payment confirmations. In one exchange, he told her, 'I told you to make [a] fake receipt.' Before his sentencing, Kingston apologised in court and said he had learned from his mistakes. His lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, described him as a 'soft guy' who rose to fame quickly and lacked the financial maturity to manage his business affairs. Kingston is set to begin serving his sentence immediately.
Dubai Eye
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Dubai Eye
Sean Kingston jailed for $1 million fraud scheme
Rapper Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison after being convicted in a million-dollar fraud scheme involving luxury goods, fake payments, and abuse of his celebrity status. Kingston, best known for hits like Beautiful Girls, Fire Burning, and Eenie Meenie, was convicted earlier this year alongside his mother, Janice Turner, in a wire fraud case that spanned multiple victims and more than $1 million in stolen goods. Federal prosecutors said Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson and his mother lured victims using the rapper's fame. They approached sellers of luxury items online, promising exposure and referrals to other celebrities in exchange for high-end products. Among the stolen items were luxury watches, designer furniture, a 232-inch LED TV, and a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade. Instead of paying, prosecutors said the pair sent fake wire transfer receipts, convincing victims they had completed the purchases. Many were never paid, though some received compensation after law enforcement became involved or legal action was taken. Kingston was arrested in 2024 in California, just before a scheduled performance at an Army base in the Mojave Desert. His mother was taken into custody during a simultaneous raid at his Fort Lauderdale home. Turner was sentenced in July to five years in prison. According to trial evidence, including text messages between the rapper and his mother, Kingston was directly involved in instructing the creation of fake payment confirmations. In one exchange, he told her, 'I told you to make [a] fake receipt.' Before his sentencing, Kingston apologised in court and said he had learned from his mistakes. His lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, described him as a 'soft guy' who rose to fame quickly and lacked the financial maturity to manage his business affairs. Kingston is set to begin serving his sentence immediately.
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.
