Sean Kingston, the rapper and singer known for his 2007 hit “Beautiful Girls,” along with his mother, Janice Turner, has been indicted in South Florida on federal charges involving over $1 million worth of fraud.
Kingston, 34, and Turner, 61, appeared in federal court on Friday, following an indictment earlier this month.
They are accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud victims out of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry, and other luxury items using fraudulent documents.
Court records reveal that Kingston was arrested on May 23 at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California’s Mojave Desert, where he was performing.
Turner was taken into custody the same day when a SWAT team raided Kingston’s rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
According to the federal indictment, Kingston and Turner allegedly claimed to have made bank wire transfers or other monetary payments for high-end items, which never occurred.
They reportedly retained over $1 million worth of these items without paying for them.
From October to March, they allegedly stole nearly $500,000 in jewelry, over $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a Cadillac Escalade dealer, over $100,000 from First Republic Bank, and $86,000 from a custom bed manufacturer.
Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, is already serving a two-year probation sentence for trafficking stolen property.
His mother has a prior conviction from 2006 for bank fraud, for which she served nearly 1.5 years in prison after stealing over $160,000.
Their attorney, Robert Rosenblatt, did not immediately respond to requests for comments from The Associated Press.
However, he previously stated that Kingston and Turner are looking forward to addressing the charges and are “confident of a successful resolution.”
Sean Kingston also collaborated with Justin Bieber on the popular song “Eenie Meenie.”
This recent legal trouble adds to the Jamaican American performer’s contentious history, now complicated further by serious federal accusations.
Stay connected with us for more updates on the latest in Entertainment and Celebrity News.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Subscribe to receive our daily newsletter.
