Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for his role in what prosecutors claimed was a $1 million wire fraud scheme.
On Aug. 15, Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, was sentenced to 42 months in Southern Florida prison, according to a court filing obtained by USA TODAY. He was also turned over to U.S. Marshals Service custody.
Three weeks earlier, his mom Janice Turner was sentenced to five years in prison in the same case. Turner’s attorneys filed a notice of appeal on Aug. 5.
The sentencing comes after a jury found the “Beautiful Girls” singer, 35, and the 62-year-old Turner guilty of all charges against them following a five-day trial in March, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY. The mother-son duo faced one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
The two still face state-level charges in Florida, where Kingston’s home was the subject of a SWAT raid in May 2024.
In addition to “Beautiful Girls,” Kingston is known for hit songs like “Fire Burning,” “Take You There” and his 2010 collaboration “Eenie Meenie” with music superstar Justin Bieber.
Sean Kingston ‘is taking this as a learning experience’: Attorney
In an Aug. 15 statement, Kingston’s lawyer told USA TODAY that “we respect the Court’s decision and the judicial process,” adding that “we are content that the Court did not go with the government’s request of five years and sentenced Sean below the sentencing guidelines instead.”
“It is important to note that most of the restitution in this case was paid back, even before these charges were brought,” attorney Zeljka Bozanic said. “Sean is taking this as a learning experience and will continue moving forward in a positive direction. We are actively reviewing all available options, including potential appeals, to ensure his rights are fully protected.”
Sean Kingston and mother found guilty of fraudulently obtaining luxury watches, car
Turner is currently incarcerated at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. After his conviction, Kingston had his bond terms modified to include home detention with electronic monitoring, with $200,000 cash turned over to the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida.
No facility is listed yet for Anderson in the Federal Bureau of Prisons database.
According to the mother and son’s July indictment last year, the duo conspired to commit wire fraud between April 2023 and March 2024. In other words, they showed intent to “defraud and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida also alleged Kingston leveraged “his celebrity status” and “often persuaded his victim vendors to stray from their regular business practices and convinced them to either supply or deliver their goods and services prior to receipt of full payment.”
Some of their ill-gotten gains included three watches, which involved fake wire transfers for $285,000 and $480,000; a $160,000 car; and $40,000 worth of audio/video equipment.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean Kingston sentenced to over 3 years in federal prison
