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Rapper Sean โขKingston Sentenced to 3.5 Years in Prison forโ $1โ Million Fraud Scheme
Miami,โฃ FL – Rapper โขSean Kingston โwas sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Friday after being convicted of a $1 โคmillion fraud scheme. โฃThe artist, whose legal name isโ Kisean Paul anderson, leveraged his celebrity status to defraud โsellers ofโ luxury goods, failing to pay for items he acquired.
In March, a federal jury found Kingstonโค and his mother, Janice Eleanorโ Turner, guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud andโ four counts ofโค wire fraud. Turner was sentenced to five years in prison last month.
Before sentencing, Kingston apologized โto U.S. Judge David Leibowitz,stating he had learned from his actions. His attorney requestedโฃ a delayed self-surrender due to health concerns, but the judge ordered him takenโ into custody immediately. Kingston was handcuffed and led away from theโ courtroom after โฃremoving hisโ jacket.
Prosecutors โคdescribed Kingston asโ being addicted to a celebrity lifestyle he could no longer afford, relying on โขhis fame to avoid payment. โขAssistant U.S. attorney Marc Anton stated, “Heโ clearly doesn’t like โto pay and relies on hisโค celebrity โstatusโ to defraud โhis victims.” Anton characterized Kingston as “a thief and a โคconman, plain and simple.”
Kingston’s defense attorney, Zeljka Bozanic,โข argued that the 35-year-old artist had the mentality โคof a teenager when he โrose to fame, lacking financial knowledgeโ and relying on managers โand โhisโฃ mother. “No one showedโ him how to โinvest his money,” Bozanic said, “moneyโข went in and money went outโฃ on superficialโ things.” She also โฃstated Kingstonโข has begun repaying victims and intends to โcover the full amount once he can work โagain.
Judge Leibowitz acknowledged Kingston’s acceptance of responsibility and decision not to testify, but contrastedโ this with the obstructionist testimony ofโ his mother.
The case โฃbegan withโฃ a raid โin May 2024, when a SWAT team โฃsearched kingston’s rented mansion in Fortโฃ Lauderdale and arrested Turner. Kingstonโ was apprehended at Fort Irwin, an Army trainingโ base โin California, while performing.
Investigatorsโ foundโข that between โขApril 2023 and March 2024, Kingston used socialโ media to arrange purchases of luxury items. He โขwoudl invite sellers โto his Florida homes, promising socialโฃ media promotion in exchange for the goods. However, he and his mother allegedly provided โฃfake wire transfer receiptsโ for items like aโ bulletproof Escalade, watches, and a 9-footโ LED โTV. โขVictims often had to file lawsuits โor โcontact law enforcement to receive payment, if they received it at all.Kingston rose to fame in โ2007 with his hit song “Stunning girls,” a remix of โBen E. King’s classic.โฃ he also had success with songs like โ”Me Love” andโข “Fire Burning.”