Rap artist Sean Kingston, born Kisean Anderson, faced a verdict on charges of federal wire fraud on Friday, March 29th. In the previous year, both he and his mother, Janice Turner, were arraigned on those federal charges. In that arraignment, they were accused of defrauding multiple businesses, including a jewelry business and a luxury car dealership. The indictment indicates the pair took over $1 million over several years. Kingston and his mother were booked into the Broward County jail.
The indictment of Sean Kingston and Janice Turner claims the mother and son told businesses they had sent money wires in exchange for goods when they never actually sent them. The charges included wire fraud and grand theft auto for the use of fraudulent documents, which also used Justin Beiber’s name without his permission. Turner would often follow up on item delivery. Bank of America, First Republic Bank, and Cadillac were among the businesses targeted. At the time, both pleaded not guilty.
The History of Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston was born in Miami, but his family raised him in Jamaica. He returned to the United States in his last year of high school and immediately began to pursue music. His reggae rap fusion immediately caught the eye of Beluga Heights Records. In 2007, he released his first single, “Beautiful Girls”, which was an immediate success, toping multiple Top 100 lists, including the US Billboard Top 100.
Sean Kingston’s career took off, and he became a multi-platinum recording artist. He recorded multiple additional top hits, including “Fire Burning”, “Face Drop”, and “Eenie Meenie”. He continued to release songs and albums, with his most recent album dropping in 2022 entitled Road to Deliverance.Â
While his mother had previously been arrested in 2011 for fraud, Kingston had largely stayed out of trouble. He avoided the legal trouble that some other rappers faced. He participated in non-profit causes as an activist, including PETA. He was charged a fine for careless operation in a 2011 jet ski accident that nearly took his life, but was not in trouble with the law until his case in 2024. He has stayed largely out of the spotlight since his arrest.
Sean Kingston Faces His Verdict
The jury returned with a verdict for all charges related to Kingston and Turner’s federal fraud case, and found the pair guilty on all. It took the jury just 3.5 hours to render their verdict. The mother and son were seen openly weeping in court at the announcement of their verdict.
Janice Turner was sent into federal custody after the verdict, where she will remain until sentencing. Sean Kingston was placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring. He also had to post a bond including a $500,000 home and $200,000 in cash. Both he and his mother will be sentenced on July 11th, 2025. At that time, it will be determined what fines and jail sentences may be levied on the mother and son.
