Sean Kingston sentenced to 3.5 years in jail for $1 million fraud scheme
FILE-Singer Sean Kingston and mother Janice Turner arrives for the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards - Arrivals held at Nokia Theater L.A. Live on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/WireImage/Getty Images)
Sean Kingston was sentenced Friday to three and a half years in prison for his role in a $1 million fraud scheme.
Kingston apologized to the judge and said he learned from his actions. The Associated Press reported that the 35-year-old singer, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, were each convicted by a federal jury in March of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner was sentenced in July to five years in prison.
What happened in the fraud scheme?
Dig deeper:
Sean Kingston and Janice Eleanor Turner were arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT team raided the entertainer’s rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Associated Press reported that Turner was taken into custody during the raid, while Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California’s Mojave Desert, where he was performing.
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Citing court documents, the AP noted that Kingston used social media from April 2023 to March 2024 to arrange purchases of expensive merchandise. The entertainer would also invite the sellers to one of his Florida homes and pledge to feature them and their products on social media.
Investigators told the AP that when it was time to pay, Kingston or his mother would text the victims fake wire receipts for the luxury items, which included a bulletproof Escalade and watches.
According to the AP, when the funds didn't clear, victims often called Kingston and Turner but were either never paid or received money only after filing lawsuits or contacting police.
Who is Sean Kingston?
The backstory:
Sean Kingston gained fame in 2007 with his debut single, "Beautiful Girls." Kingston’s other hits include 2007’s "Take You There" and 2009’s "Fire Burning." The singer also collaborated with Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and Nicki Minaj.
Kingston was involved in a near-fatal jet skiing accident in Miami in 2011 after his watercraft crashed into a Miami Beach bridge, according to FOX News.
RELATED: Sean Kingston, his mother stole more than $1 million through fraud, authorities say
Kingston reportedly had a broken jaw and a fractured wrist and had water in his lungs and spent three weeks in the hospital.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by previous LIVENOW from FOX reporting, the Associated Press, and FOX News. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.