Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother found guilty of fraud
Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother Janice Turner have been found guilty of federal wire fraud
On March 28, the jury deliberation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida charged Kingston and Turner with five counts of federal wire fraud: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Their sentencing will take place on July 11, 2025.
Wire fraud, a type of financial fraud involving the use of telecommunications or the internet, carries a maximum sentencing of 20 years in prison in the US.
The Beautiful Girls singer, 35, and his mother, 62, were arrested in California in May 2024 on theft charges following a SWAT raid issued by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office on Kingston’s South Florida mansion.
The prosecutors alleged that the mother and son defrauded several luxury businesses by using his celebrity influence and social media following to not pay for luxury items and making fraudulent wire transfers. The $1 million (PhP 57.4 million) scheme included the defraudment of a jewelry business, a luxury bed company, and an exotic car dealership.
The two pleaded not guilty to all counts.
According to NBC News, Kingston and Turner were in tears as their verdicts were being read.
Turner's lawyer, Humberto Dominguez, said that she was trying to protect her son from the victims who she alleged were "fraudsters."
"This case is about women's intuition," Dominguez said.
Kingston was ordered to remain under house arrest with electronic monitoring while his mother was taken into federal custody, where she will remain until their sentencing in July.
On Friday, the singer shared a now-expired Instagram story with a message for his mother. "My only queen forever. Love you!!!! I promise you this is not the end!" he wrote.
Kingston rose to fame in 2007 and released hit songs Beautiful Girls, Me Love, Fire Bruning, Take You There, and Eenie Meenie with Justin Bieber.
