Rapper Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for his involvement in a million-dollar fraud scheme.
The artist, known for his hit “Beautiful Girls,” was convicted earlier this year, alongside his mother, for wire fraud. The scheme involved the theft of luxury items, including watches, a 232-inch LED TV, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and furniture, totaling over $1 million.
According to prosecutors, Kingston (legal name Kisean Anderson) and his mother leveraged the rapper’s celebrity to obtain products from victims, subsequently providing fake wire transfer receipts when payment was due.
Prior to sentencing, the singer reportedly apologized to the court and expressed that he had learned from his actions, according to US media outlets.
Kingston’s mother, Janice Turner, received a five-year prison sentence in July for her role in the scheme.
The Jamaican-American rapper, also known for tracks like “Fire Burning,” “Take You There,” and “Eenie Meenie” (featuring Justin Bieber), was apprehended in 2024 in California, where he was scheduled to perform at an Army training base in the Mojave Desert.
His arrest followed a raid on his residence near Fort Lauderdale, during which his mother was taken into custody.
Federal prosecutors stated that Kingston initially contacted victims via social media, expressing interest in purchasing luxury goods and inviting them to his residences in South Florida.
Kingston allegedly promised victims exposure on his social media platforms and occasionally offered to refer their products to other “high profile celebrities,” according to federal prosecutors.
However, when payment was required, either Kingston or his mother allegedly provided fake wire receipts falsely indicating that funds had been transferred, prosecutors stated during the trial.
Authorities indicated that most victims did not receive payment, although some were compensated after law enforcement intervention or the filing of lawsuits.
Key evidence presented during the trial included text messages between Kingston and his mother discussing the fraudulent payment receipts, according to CBS, a news partner of the BBC.
“I told you to make [a] fake receipt,” Kingston allegedly wrote in one message.
Kingston’s attorney, Zeljka Bozanic, described the singer as “a soft guy who grew up poor when he rose to fame overnight.” Bozanic argued that Kingston retained the mentality of a teenager and lacked the knowledge to manage his bank accounts or business affairs.
He will begin serving his sentence immediately.
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