After being found guilty of scamming several businesses, rapper Sean Kingston begged a federal judge to be lenient with him. According to a note from his attorney, he had accepted responsibility for his offenses and had a history of donating to charities that supported soldiers and the poor.
U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz noted the situation in a federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. He then imposed the 42-month sentence.
He was promptly placed in handcuffs and sent to the U.S. Marshals for a three-year incarceration. On October 16, a restitution hearing is planned.
The judge condemned Janice Turner, 62, Kingston’s mother, to five years in prison late last month. Both were convicted by a jury on March 28 of cheating companies out of almost $1 million. According to court documents, Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was convicted on five out of six counts of a superseding federal indictment.
The mother assisted her famous son in avoiding paying for a variety of luxuries, such as rent for a house in Southwest Ranches, fashionable automobiles, jewelry, pricey watches, and private charter flights. According to the authorities, some of the companies received their money back, but as of July, roughly $1.1 million was still unaccounted for.
Court documents show that Kingston purchased luxury goods on social media between April 2023 and March 2024. He would pledge to highlight the vendors and their goods on social media and extend an invitation to one of his upscale residences.
However, Kingston or his mother would SMS the victims fictitious wire receipts when it came time to pay for the products and services. Victims frequently reached out to Kingston and Turner without success when the payments never came through.
Zeljka Bozanic, a criminal defense lawyer, wrote in a sentencing memo to the court that Kingston was “an overnight sensation who went from brushes with homelessness to worldwide fame.”
In 2010, Kingston went on tour with Justin Bieber and worked with him on the popular song “Eenie Meenie.” His most well-known songs are “Fire Burning” and “Beautiful Girls.”
The attorney added that Kingston just issued a statement of responsibility admitting his wrongdoing. Bozanic wrote that Kingston should have received a sentence of 24 to 30 months for admitting that responsibility, rather than the 57 to 71 months that a U.S. probation officer had determined.
The lawyer said, referring to the rapper by his legal name, “Mr. Anderson’s love and passion for music, coupled with his determination and perseverance, led to his life changing overnight.” Mr. Anderson went from being a youngster on the verge of homelessness to having a hugely successful album that reached the top of every chart both domestically and internationally. Because of his incredible success at the age of seventeen, Mr. Anderson had to quickly mature and adjust to the music industry. Mr. Anderson overcame severe adversity by working from an early age.
Bozanic continued, “Mr. Anderson has a long history of giving back to the community and helping those in need.” He arranged toy drives, fed the homeless on Thanksgiving and Christmas, provided clothing for the less fortunate, and inspired and uplifted those around him. He always complimented his mother for instilling in him the value of giving back. In order to help individuals in need, Mr. Anderson planned and took part in charitable events.
The message continued by saying that many who know Mr. Anderson describe him as kind, kind, and always willing to provide a helping hand to a friend or stranger in need, whether it be financially or simply. He is characterized as someone who connects with others, has a huge heart, and is always prepared to lend a hand.
A dozen or more people, including friends, family, and businesspeople, provided the court with character references.
Judge Leibowitz, however, presented a more negative picture of both mother and son at Turner’s sentence in July. According to him, they both lied and took use of their celebrity status.
Turner received a sentence of five years, which was less than the more than eight years that federal prosecutors had asked for but more than the two years that her lawyer had asked the court to impose. Leibowitz stated that if Turner had not lied on the witness when she stated that she delivered the fictitious receipts merely to purchase time to reimburse the companies, her sentence would have been far lighter.
After completing her term, Turner will likely be deported to Jamaica due to her criminal conviction, but she will also be subject to three years of supervised release, her lawyer, Humberto Dominguez, stated last month.
In July, Dominguez argued for a lighter sentence for Turner, calling her a loving mother who engaged in the deception solely to please her son. He underlined that although some of the enterprises never experienced a loss, Turner and Kingston eventually paid back a large number of them.
However, the government retorted that since the mother and son attempted to defraud more than 20 victims and more than $3 million, they should both receive harsh punishments.
Simply put, Turner is a thief, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton. He mentioned Turner’s past, which includes a conviction for bank fraud in 2005. Additionally, he contended that Turner had not accepted accountability for the most recent plot.
According to Anton, she enjoyed living on Sean Kingston’s coattails and living the high life. However, the way of life was a house of cards.
