Jamaican-American rapper Sean Kingston broke down in tears in a Florida courtroom on Friday as he and his mother, Janice Turner, were found guilty of wire fraud charges.
The duo was convicted on all five counts stemming from their May 2024 arrest, accused of defrauding businesses out of more than $1 million in money and luxury goods.
Kingston, 35, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was visibly emotional as the jury read its verdict in the Fort Lauderdale federal court, WPLG reported. He clasped his hands together and cried out, “Protect my mother,” as U.S. Marshals took Turner into custody.
Turner, 62, was described by the judge as the “fixer and nerve center” of the scheme, citing her past fraud convictions. She previously served 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing $160,000 in a 2006 bank fraud case. Given her criminal history and testimony during the trial, the judge deemed her a flight risk and ordered her held at Broward County Jail.
Kingston, meanwhile, was placed under house arrest with bond conditions that include a $200,000 surety bond and a $500,000 property pledge from a relative.
Fraudulent scheme and past lawsuits
Federal prosecutors alleged that Kingston and Turner defrauded banks, car dealerships, jewelry stores, and even a mattress company between October 2023 and March 2024. The scheme involved using fraudulent wire transfer documents to obtain high-end vehicles, jewelry, and other luxury items, totaling over $1 million in stolen assets.
Among the defrauded businesses was Ver Ver Entertainment LLC, which filed a civil lawsuit against Kingston in February 2024. The company accused the rapper of breaching a contract after he ordered a $111,000 Colossal TV and sound system but failed to make promised promotional videos featuring pop star Justin Bieber. The commercials never materialized, and Bieber was never involved, the lawsuit claimed.
In total, Kingston and Turner were accused of stealing:
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Nearly $500,000 in jewelry
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More than $200,000 from Bank of America
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$160,000 from an Escalade dealership
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Over $100,000 from First Republic Bank
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$86,000 from a custom bed manufacturer
Victims testified that the duo swindled them out of a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, luxury watches, and other high-ticket items.
This is not the first time Kingston and his mother have faced fraud-related legal action. They were successfully sued in New York federal court in 2015, resulting in a $356,000 payment to a watch dealer. Three years later, they were ordered to pay $301,000 to a New York jeweler after allegedly scamming the store out of nine pieces of jewelry.
The recent arrests followed a high-profile raid on Kingston’s South Florida mansion on May 23. Federal agents stormed the home while Kingston was in California performing for the U.S. Army MWR program. He was detained at Fort Irwin and later extradited to Florida to face charges.
Both Kingston and Turner now face up to 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence for federal wire fraud. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for July 11.
Despite his conviction, Sean Kingston remained silent as he exited the courthouse, declining to answer questions from reporters.
