American-Jamaican singer Sean Kingston has been handed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for his involvement in a $1 million fraud scheme centered on luxury goods.
Kingston, born Kisean Paul Anderson, was convicted in March alongside his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, on multiple counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Turner received a five-year sentence last month.
According to prosecutors, Kingston exploited his celebrity image to acquire high-end items such as a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, luxury watches, and a 19-foot LED television, without making payments. He allegedly provided fake wire transfer receipts and enticed sellers with promises of social media promotion.
U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz ordered his immediate custody during Friday’s sentencing in South Florida, rejecting a request for delayed surrender on health grounds.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton branded Kingston a “thief and conman,” accusing him of repeatedly using his fame to scam victims. In his defense, attorney Zeljka Bozanic argued the 35-year-old lacked financial discipline but had started repaying victims.
Kingston and his mother were both arrested in May 2024, following 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 just 17 with his 2007 global hit “Beautiful Girls.”
