Sean Kingston learned his fate less than six months after being convicted of fraud.
The “Beautiful Girls” singer, 35, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and three years of supervised release during a Friday, August 15, court hearing, according to CBS News. His mother, Janice Turner, received a five-year prison sentence with three years of probation last month.
Kingston and Turner were found guilty on all counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in March, with the charges carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. At the time, Turner was immediately remanded to federal custody until sentencing, and Kingston was confined to house arrest.
Kingston and Turner were arrested in May 2024 amid accusations of defrauding multiple businesses. They were released from police custody in July 2024 on $10,000 and $5,000 bonds, respectively. Later that month, the two were indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida alleged that Kingston and Turner “unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers.”
According to prosecutors, the pair used fraudulent documents to pressure dealers of luxury vehicles, jewelry and other expensive items to deliver goods before they received full payment.
Shortly after the allegations made headlines, Kingston maintained his innocence in a May 2024 Instagram post.
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“People love negative energy! I am good and so is my mother!” he wrote at the time. “My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.”
Kingston’s attorney added in a May 2024 statement that his client was “aware” of the accusations.
“We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Sean and his mother,” the lawyer said.
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While Kingston declined to testify on his behalf during the trial, Turner admitted to sending fake wires from her bank account to pay individuals in an attempt to protect her son from being taken advantage of, as he allegedly had been in the past.
In 2022, Kingston spoke to Us Weekly about his music career more than a decade after rising to fame with hit singles such as “Fire Burning” and “Take You There.”
“After a few years of producing for other artists, I’m inspired to record my own music again,” he said. “It’s been incredible having these sold-out shows. The road is tough, but [seeing] so many fans having a good time and singing along to my music, it’s a blessing.”
