Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston is once again behind bars, this time at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, after failing to pay a $100,000 cash bond following his conviction on multiple federal charges, according to a report by Local10.
Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was found guilty last month on all five counts in a wire fraud and conspiracy case. The 35-year-old entertainer, known for hits like “Beautiful Girls,” had been placed on home detention pending sentencing, but was taken into custody after he was unable to satisfy the court’s bond requirement, according to federal records.
Kingston’s mother, Janice Turner, 62, was also convicted in the same case and was immediately remanded to federal custody after the verdict was delivered in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom on March 28. As Turner was escorted out by U.S. Marshals, Kingston was visibly emotional, clasping his hands and crying as he pleaded, “Protect my mother.”
Prosecutors accused the pair of orchestrating a $1 million fraud scheme involving high-end luxury goods. Among the items allegedly obtained through fraudulent means were an enormous television, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in watches. Authorities seized the items during a raid on Kingston’s Southwest Ranches home.
During the trial, the prosecution presented several alleged victims who claimed they were duped by the pair. The judge overseeing the case described Turner as “the fixer, the nerve center” of the operation and cited her previous convictions in denying her bond. Her courtroom testimony also played a role in her being deemed a flight risk.
Kingston did not testify during the trial. His defense portrayed him as financially naive and irresponsible with money, while placing the blame for the fraudulent activity on his mother.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, with Turner set to appear at 9 a.m. and Kingston at 11 a.m. Each faces up to 20 years in federal prison if given the maximum penalty for wire fraud.
