Singer Sean Kingston has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for his role in a $1 million fraud scheme.
Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Paul Anderson, exploited his celebrity status to obtain luxury items without paying for them.
He and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, were convicted in March of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
Kingston used social media to arrange deals for luxury goods, inviting sellers to his Florida residences with promises of social media promotion.
He would then provide falsified wire transfer receipts, claiming payment had been made.
The items obtained included a luxury vehicle worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, ahigh-end timepieces valued at thousands of dollars, a large, high-definition television.
Kingston and his mother were arrested in May 2024 following a SWAT raid on Kingston’s rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale.
Turner was detained during the raid, while Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin, a U.S. Army base in California, where he was performing.
Before U.S. Judge David Leibowitz delivered the sentence, Kingston apologized in a South Florida courtroom, saying he had learned from his actions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described Kingston as “a thief and a conman, plain and simple,” citing a years-long pattern of coercing sellers into parting with luxury goods before refusing to pay.
Defense attorney Zeljka Bozanic argued that Kingston retained the mentality of a teenager, lacking financial knowledge and relying heavily on managers and his mother.
She stated that Kingston had already begun repaying victims and intended to repay all debts once released.
Judge Leibowitz rejected the notion that Kingston was naive, crediting him for accepting responsibility and not lying on the stand.
Kingston’s mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, received a five-year prison sentence last month.
Kingston was ordered to begin his sentence immediately, with the judge denying a request for delayed self-surrender due to health issues.
