Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, have been found guilty of wire fraud in a federal trial concerning a $1 million scheme, potentially facing decades in prison.1
After three hours of deliberation in Broward County court, a jury convicted the 35-year-old singer (Kisean Paul Anderson) and Turner on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.2 Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, with sentencing scheduled for July 11th.3
Kingston’s legal troubles began in May 2024, following a SWAT raid on his South Florida mansion, stemming from theft charges and a lawsuit alleging non-payment for luxury items. The plaintiff’s attorney accused Kingston of using his celebrity status and false claims of collaborations with Justin Bieber to defraud sellers, obtaining goods without payment.4
Subsequently, Kingston and Turner were indicted in Miami federal court on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud. The indictment detailed a scheme to defraud sellers of high-end vehicles, jewelry, and other goods using fraudulent documents and payments. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida stated that the scheme involved presenting fake bank transfers, resulting in over $1 million in fraudulently acquired property.5
During the trial, Fort Lauderdale jeweler Moshe Edery testified that Kingston received a $285,000 Audemars Piguet watch under the promise of celebrity introductions.6 Kingston provided a fabricated wire transfer screenshot, leading to Edery’s dismissal and blacklisting.
Turner admitted to falsifying wire transfers to protect her son from perceived scammers by delaying payments.7 Kingston, who opted not to testify, was implicated by a text message instructing his mother to create a “fake receipt” to simulate a future transfer.
