American singer Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his role in a $1 million fraud scheme involving luxury goods.
The 35-year-old artist was convicted in March alongside his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, who last month received a five-year prison sentence. Both were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
According to prosecutors, Kingston exploited his celebrity status to obtain high-end items, including a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, luxury watches, and a 19-foot LED television, without paying for them. Court filings revealed he used falsified wire transfer receipts and lured sellers with promises of social media promotion that never materialised.
During Friday’s sentencing in a South Florida courtroom, U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz ordered Kingston’s immediate remand, dismissing his lawyer’s plea for delayed surrender on health grounds.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described Kingston as a “thief and a conman” who had spent years manipulating victims with his fame. In defense, attorney Zeljka Bozanic argued that Kingston lacked financial discipline and had begun repaying some of those he defrauded.
The case followed a SWAT raid in May 2024 on Kingston’s rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, where both he and his mother were arrested.
Kingston, who was born in Florida but raised in Jamaica, first shot to international fame at age 17 with his 2007 chart-topping hit Beautiful Girls.
