FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rapper Sean Kingston was sentenced to a few and a half years in jail Friday after being convicted of a $1 million fraud scheme wherein he leveraged his fame to dupe sellers into giving him luxurious objects that he then by no means paid for.
Kingston, whose authorized identify is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mom, Janice Eleanor Turner, had been every convicted in March by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 4 counts of wire fraud. Turner was sentenced to 5 years in jail final month.
Earlier than U.S. Decide David Leibowitz handed down Kingston’s sentence, the singer apologized to the choose within the South Florida courtroom and stated he had discovered from his actions. His lawyer requested if he might self-surrender at a later date attributable to well being points, however the choose ordered him taken into custody instantly. Kingston, who was carrying a black swimsuit and white shirt, eliminated his swimsuit jacket and was handcuffed and led from the courtroom.
Kingston, 35, and his mom had been arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT staff raided Kingston’s rented mansion in suburban Fort Lauderdale. Turner was taken into custody throughout the raid, whereas Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin, an Military coaching base in California’s Mojave Desert, the place he was performing.
In keeping with court docket data, Kingston used social media from April 2023 to March 2024 to rearrange purchases of high-end merchandise. After negotiating offers, Kingston would invite the sellers to certainly one of his high-end Florida properties and promise to characteristic them and their merchandise on social media.
Investigators stated that when it got here time to pay, Kingston or his mom would textual content the victims faux wire receipts for the luxurious merchandise, which included a bulletproof Escalade, watches and a 19-foot (5.9-meter) LED TV, investigators stated.
When the funds by no means cleared, victims usually contacted Kingston and Turner repeatedly, however had been both by no means paid or acquired cash solely after submitting lawsuits or contacting legislation enforcement.
Kingston, who was born in Florida and raised in Jamaica, shot to fame at age 17 with the 2007 hit “Stunning Women,” which laid his lyrics over Ben E. King’s 1961 tune “Stand By Me.” His different hits embody 2007’s “Take You There” and 2009’s “Fireplace Burning.”
