American singer Sean Kingston is sentenced to 3.5 years in federal prison for his role in a $1 million fraud scheme alongside his mother, Janice Turner.
The court ruled on August 15, 2025, marking a significant fall in the career of the 35-year-old artist, who had once been a rising star in the music industry.
The Grammy-nominated artist and his mother were convicted in May 2024 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
The court held them accountable for luring victims, primarily luxury goods vendors, with false promises of social media exposure and fake wire transfer receipts.
Prosecutors unveiled that the mother-son duo then failed to pay for high-end items, including a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, designer watches, and a 19-ft LED TV.
The fraud was committed by Kingston who invited sellers to his Florida mansion, where he would start negotiation deals and send fake payment confirmations.
When vendors demanded payment, they were either ignored or received partial settlements only after lawsuits or police intervention.
District Judge David Leibowitz considered his mother even more culpable and was sentenced to five years jail.
While appearing in court, Kingston admitted his mistake and apologised in court by saying, “I’ve learned from my actions.”
His defense argued that he was financially reckless but not malicious, claiming he was unaware of the actual balance in his account and had assumed that payments would clear in the end.
Prosecutors dismissed this, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton calling him “a thief through and through.”
Kingston appealed in court to self-surrender later due to health problems, but the judge denied and ordered immediate custody.
In the court, he was handcuffed and led away as his sister, Kanema Morris, vowed to fight for his release, shouting: “Free my family!”
