Janice Turner, the 63-year-old mother of Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison for her role in a $1 million wire fraud scheme involving her son. Turner, who holds Jamaican citizenship, also faces possible deportation after completing her sentence and may be barred from reentering the United States.
Turner and Kingston—whose legal name is Kisean Anderson—were found guilty in March of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Prosecutors said the duo fraudulently acquired more than $1 million worth of luxury goods by submitting fake wire transfer confirmations to vendors.
The items obtained included a Cadillac Escalade, a custom luxury bed, a $150,000 custom LED television entertainment system, and over $400,000 in jewelry. Authorities described Turner as orchestrating many of the transactions and providing false documentation as part of a deliberate scheme to defraud multiple businesses.
Kingston was arrested in May 2024 at Fort Irwin, a U.S. Army training base in California. At the time, he was serving two years’ probation for trafficking stolen property. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 28, 2025.
The arrest warrants detailed losses occurring between October 2023 and March 2024, including nearly $500,000 in jewelry, $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a luxury SUV dealer, over $100,000 from First Republic Bank, and $86,000 from a custom bed manufacturer.
Turner previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2006 and served nearly 18 months in prison for stealing more than $160,000, according to court records.
During her sentencing, Turner became emotional and asked the judge for mercy for both herself and her son. Her attorney, Humberto Dominguez, said:
“It was a hard-fought sentence, so we have mixed feelings on it. We won on some points and obviously lost on others. All of which will be handled on appeal. Overall, the judge tried to do what was right and what was fair.”
After serving her prison term, Turner will be on supervised release for three years. A restitution hearing is scheduled for October 16 to determine the financial repayment owed by Turner and Kingston.
Kingston rose to fame in 2007 with his No. 1 hit “Beautiful Girls” and later collaborated with Justin Bieber on the song “Eenie Meenie.”
Due to her non-U.S. citizenship, Turner faces deportation proceedings following her release, potentially barring her from returning to the United States.
