Sean Kingston, the Jamaican-American singer who rose to fame in 2007 with his chart-topping hit “Beautiful Girls”, has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for orchestrating a $1 million fraud scheme. The 35-year-old artist, whose real name is Kisean Paul Anderson, was convicted in March alongside his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner, who prosecutors say played an active role in the scheme, was sentenced to five years in prison last month.

Prosecutors said Kingston and Turner leveraged his celebrity status to persuade sellers to hand over high-end merchandise without payment. Using social media to connect with luxury vendors between April 2023 and March 2024, Kingston allegedly promised exposure in exchange for goods such as a bulletproof Escalade, expensive watches, and a 19-foot LED TV. Once deals were made, sellers were lured to one of Kingston’s upscale Florida homes, where they were assured payment was forthcoming. Instead, prosecutors said, Kingston or Turner sent fake wire transfer receipts — leaving victims unpaid until legal action or law enforcement involvement forced partial repayments.

In court on Friday, Kingston apologized to U.S. Judge David Leibowitz and expressed regret for his actions, though prosecutors painted a starkly different picture. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described Kingston as addicted to a lavish lifestyle he could no longer afford, calling him “a thief and a conman, plain and simple.”

Defense attorney Zeljka Bozanic argued that Kingston had the “mentality of a teenager” and little understanding of his finances, having relied heavily on his mother and business managers since finding fame at 17. Despite acknowledging Kingston’s willingness to accept responsibility, Judge Leibowitz ordered him into custody immediately, denying his request to self-surrender at a later date due to health concerns.

Kingston and Turner’s arrests came after a dramatic SWAT raid in May 2024 at the singer’s rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale. Turner was taken into custody on the spot, while Kingston was detained at Fort Irwin, an Army base in California’s Mojave Desert, where he was performing. 

Source: AP