American-Jamaican singer Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his role in a $1 million fraud scheme involving luxury goods.
Kingston, born Kisean Paul Anderson, was convicted in March alongside his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner, sentenced last month, received five years in prison.
Prosecutors said Kingston used his celebrity status to fraudulently obtain expensive items, including a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, luxury watches, and a 19-foot LED television.
Court documents revealed he presented falsified wire transfer receipts and enticed sellers with promises of social media promotion in exchange for the goods.
U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz ordered his immediate remand after Friday’s sentencing in a South Florida courtroom, rejecting a request by Kingston’s lawyer for a delayed surrender due to health concerns.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described the singer as a “thief and a conman,” accusing him of exploiting his fame to defraud victims for years.
His defence lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, countered that Kingston, 35, had poor financial discipline but had begun repaying victims.
Kingston and his mother were arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT raid on his rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale.
The singer, who was born in Florida and raised in Jamaica, shot to fame at 17 with his 2007 global hit Beautiful Girls.
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