Rapper Sean Kingston sentenced to 3.5 years in prison

Rapper Sean Kingston has been handed a federal prison sentence of three and a half years after being convicted in a high-profile fraud case involving more than USD 1 million worth of stolen luxury goods.

The Jamaican-American artist, best known for his 2007 hit Beautiful Girls, was found guilty earlier this year alongside his mother, Janice Turner, for orchestrating a wire fraud operation. Prosecutors said the pair acquired expensive items, including designer watches, a massive 232-inch LED television, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and high-end furniture, by leveraging Kingston’s celebrity status and then falsifying payments.

According to court documents, Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother provided victims with fake wire transfer receipts once payments were due. “I told you to make [a] fake receipt,” Kingston wrote in one text message to his mother, which prosecutors presented as key evidence at trial.

Turner received a five-year prison sentence in July.

Before the judge issued his ruling, Kingston expressed remorse in court. He apologized and told the court that he had learned from his mistakes, US media reported.

The scheme began unraveling in 2024 when authorities raided Kingston’s Florida home near Fort Lauderdale. Turner was taken into custody during that operation, while Kingston himself was arrested in California, where he was scheduled to perform at an Army base in the Mojave Desert.

Investigators said Kingston often contacted victims through social media, claiming he wanted to purchase luxury items. He invited them to his homes in South Florida, promising to promote their products on his social platforms or connect them with “high profile celebrities.” But instead of actual payments, fake wire receipts were sent, leaving many victims unpaid until law enforcement or civil lawsuits forced partial compensation.

Kingston’s lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, argued that the singer was “a soft guy who grew up poor when he rose to fame overnight” and that he lacked the financial maturity to properly manage his affairs.

Kingston, who also scored chart success with tracks like Fire Burning, Take You There, and Eenie Meenie featuring Justin Bieber, will begin serving his sentence immediately.