Rapper Sean Kingston, legally known as Kisean Paul Anderson, faced the music on Friday as he was handed down a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for orchestrating a million-dollar fraud scheme. Leveraging his celebrity status, Kingston duped sellers into handing over luxury items that he never intended to pay for. Alongside him, his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, was also convicted by a federal jury in March of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud, ultimately receiving a five-year sentence last month.
In the South Florida courtroom, as U.S. Judge David Leibowitz prepared to impose Kingston's punishment, the singer donned a black suit and white shirt, offering heartfelt apologies to the judge. Acknowledging his wrongdoings, Kingston's attorney pleaded for a delayed self-surrender due to health concerns, but the judge ordered immediate custody. With his suit jacket shed, Kingston was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom, his fall from grace starkly evident.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton painted a picture of Kingston as an individual addicted to his lavish lifestyle, despite being unable to sustain it financially. "He clearly doesn't like to pay and counts on his fame to swindle his victims," Anton stated on Friday. He described a persistent pattern of bullying sellers into providing luxury goods, followed by a refusal to honor payments. "He is a thief and a con artist, pure and simple," Anton emphasized.
In defense, attorney Zeljka Bozanic argued that Kingston, now 35, still possessed the mindset of a teenager—a time when he skyrocketed to fame. She contended that Kingston was financially illiterate, relying heavily on business managers and his mother. "No one taught him how to invest his money; it flowed in and out on frivolous pursuits," Bozanic noted. She added that Kingston had embarked on repaying his victims and intended to settle every penny once he regained freedom and resumed working.
Judge Leibowitz dismissed notions of Kingston's ignorance or naivety but commended him for accepting responsibility and refraining from testifying, potentially avoiding perjury. This stood in stark contrast to Kingston's mother, whose trial testimony the judge deemed obstructive.
The pair's downfall began in May 2024 when a SWAT team raided Kingston's rented mansion in suburban Fort Lauderdale. Turner was apprehended on the spot, while Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin, a military training facility in California's Mojave Desert, where he was performing.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, Kingston used social media to broker deals for luxury merchandise. After striking agreements, he would invite sellers to his opulent Florida residences, promising exposure on social media platforms. However, when it came time to fork over the cash, Kingston or his mother would allegedly send fake wire transfer receipts for items ranging from bulletproof Escalades to watches and a colossal 19-foot LED TV.
When the funds never materialized, victims repeatedly reached out to Kingston and Turner, often receiving no payment or settlement only after initiating lawsuits or involving law enforcement. Born in Florida and raised in Jamaica, Kingston skyrocketed to fame at 17 with his 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls," a fusion of his lyrics with Ben E. King's 1961 classic "Stand By Me." Other notable hits include "Take You There" (2007) and "Fire Burning" (2009).
