Hot SourceRapper and singer Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a US federal prison for his role in a $1m fraud scheme.
The 34-year-old, best known for his 2007 hit Beautiful Girls, was convicted earlier this year of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud.
Prosecutors said Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, used his celebrity status to obtain high-end goods, including luxury cars, watches and electronics, without paying for them.
The pair presented forged wire transfer receipts to sellers as proof of payment, allowing them to acquire merchandise they never intended to pay for.
The scheme took place between April 2023 and March 2024, largely in South Florida, where Kingston was based. According to court documents, he would often lure sellers with promises of exposure on his social media platforms or hints of celebrity endorsements.
During the trial, prosecutors presented text messages between Kingston and his mother, in which he instructed her to create fake receipts. “I told you to make a fake receipt… so it looks like the transfer will be there in a couple of days,” one message read.
Turner, who had pleaded guilty earlier this year, was sentenced in July to five years in prison and three years of supervised release.
At his sentencing hearing on Friday, Kingston told the court he was remorseful and had learned from his actions. His lawyers argued that many of the victims had already been repaid, and asked for leniency, citing his health concerns.
They requested that he be allowed to self-surrender at a later date, but the judge rejected the plea and ordered him into immediate custody.
Assistant US Attorney Marc Anton described Kingston as “addicted to his celebrity lifestyle”, adding: “He is a thief and a conman, plain and simple.”
Judge David S Leibowitz acknowledged Kingston’s decision not to contest the charges and his acceptance of responsibility, factors which helped reduce the sentence from what could have been a much longer prison term.
Kingston will serve 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
His conviction marks a dramatic fall from grace for the Jamaican-American performer, who rose to international fame as a teenager with a string of pop hits.
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