Rapper Sean Kingston was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar fraud scam.
Kisean Anderson, the “Beautiful Girls” hitmaker, and his mother, Janice Turner, were convicted earlier this year in a wire fraud case involving more than $1 million (£738,000) in luxury goods.
Items gained through the plan included watches, furnishings, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and a 232-inch LED television.
According to authorities, Kingston and his mother used the rapper’s star position to induce victims to hand over high-value items.
When payment was necessary, they allegedly used bogus wire transfer receipts to give the impression that monies had been sent.
Before being sentenced, Kingston addressed the court, apologising and acknowledging that he had “learnt from [his] actions,” according to US media reports. In July, his mother was sentenced separately to five years in prison.
American rapper Sean Kingston sentenced to 3.5 years for $1 million fraud
The Jamaican-American rapper, who is also known for chart-topping tracks including “Fire Burning,” “Take You There,” and “Eenie Meenie” with Justin Bieber, was detained in California in 2024 while preparing to perform at a military training base in the Mojave Desert.
His incarceration followed a raid on his house near Fort Lauderdale, which also resulted in the arrest of his mother.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Kingston routinely contacted victims over social media, indicating an interest in obtaining luxury items.
He would invite them to his houses in South Florida, promising to promote their products on his platforms or refer them to other “high-profile celebrities.”
However, when payment deadlines neared, Kingston or his mother allegedly supplied forged receipts indicating that monies were transferred.
Authorities indicated that, while some victims achieved partial reimbursement through lawsuits or law police assistance, many did not recoup their losses.
At trial, prosecutors displayed text exchanges between Kingston and his mother discussing the phoney papers, including one in which the rapper directed her: “I told you to make [a] fake receipt.”
Defence attorney Zeljka Bozanic portrayed Kingston as “a soft guy who grew up poor when he rose to fame overnight,” claiming that the artist still had “the mentality of a teenager” and lacked the abilities to manage his finances or commercial affairs.
Kingston is due to begin serving his prison sentence immediately.