Jamaican-American singer and rapper Sean Kingston alongside his mother, Janice Turner, have been convicted on four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Their charges stemmed from allegations that they had defrauded various businesses, including a jewelry company, a luxury bed manufacturer, a high-end car dealership and a luxury microLED TV company since October 2023. The defrauded amount is reportedly over $1 million USD. Following a raid of Kingston’s Florida home in May 2024, he was arrested. Evidence presented in court included fake wire transfer receipts the duo allegedly used as proof of payment. A damning piece of evidence was a text message Kingston sent to his mother stating: “I told you to make [a] fake receipt,” followed by: “so it [looks] like the transfer will be there in a couple of days.” In August, both had pleaded not guilty to organized fraud in a Florida court.
From March 24 to 28, the two were on trial in a Broward County, Florida courthouse. After three and a half hours of deliberation, the jury delivered a guilty verdict, prompting an emotional reaction from Kingston, who reportedly clasped his hands and cried in court. Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was placed under house arrest until sentencing. Meanwhile his mother, 61 year-old Janice Turner, was immediately taken into custody, with the judge citing her criminal history and central role in the scheme as reasons for denying her release. Turner was described as the “operator, fixer, and accountant” behind the fraudulent activity.
Kingston initially rose to fame in 2007 with Beautiful Girls, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. In February, he was celebrating his first-ever Grammy victory. He contributed as a songwriter to Sensational, a track from Chris Brown’s 11:11, which won the Grammy for Best R&B Album. Now facing up to 20 years in prison, sentencing is scheduled for July 11, with Turner’s hearing set for 9 a.m. and Kingston’s at 11 a.m. Beyond the federal case, both defendants are also facing similar state charges.
