Sean Kingston Found Guilty of Fraud, Sentenced to Three and a Half Years
It looks like Sean Kingston won’t be partying like it’s 2007 anymore. “The Beautiful Girls” singer, who gave us one of the most infectious earworms of the late 2000s, has…
It looks like Sean Kingston won’t be partying like it’s 2007 anymore. “The Beautiful Girls” singer, who gave us one of the most infectious earworms of the late 2000s, has officially been found guilty of fraud. And let’s just say, the headlines are a whole lot less catchy than his songs.
Sean Kingston Found Guilty
According to the BBC, Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Paul Anderson, has been sentenced to serve three and a half years in federal prison. The rapper-singer, alongside his mother, was convicted earlier this year in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme where they used his celebrity status to amass luxury items, including expensive watches, a 232-inch LED TV, furniture, and a Cadillac Escalade. The mother and son duo messaged the victims on social media, asking for their products, and then invited them to several South Florida homes.
Prosecutors said Kingston and his mother would send fake wire receipts to the victims for payment. His mother, Janice Turner, received a five-year sentence. Kingston was arrested in 2024 in California, where he was set to perform. The authorities conducted a raid in his home near Fort Lauderdale, where his mother was taken into custody.
Kingston’s Lawyer: “I Know He’s Very Sorry for What He’s Done”
Kingston’s lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, believed that her client is “very sorry for what he’s done.” She argued that even though Kingston is already an adult, he still acts like a child, and that his crimes are a result of his injuries from his 2011 jet ski accident, and that he didn’t have any role models growing up since his mother was incarcerated at the time he became famous, according to NBC News.
Bozanic also confirmed that most of the victims have already been paid back.
Kingston addressed the court, saying: “I’ve learned from my actions.”
However, the prosecutors were adamant and suggested he be sentenced to 60 months or 5 years in prison. Marc Anton, a Justice Department lawyer, argued, “He is a thief through and through,” and that his accident had anything to do with his theft.
