Sean Kingston will spend more than three years behind bars after a federal judge sentenced the Hip-Hop artist for orchestrating a multi-million-dollar fraud ring involving high-end goods and fake wire transfers.
On Friday, August 15, a federal court in Fort Lauderdale handed Kingston a three-and-a-half-year term after prosecutors detailed how he and his mother scammed retailers out of luxury items, including a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, a 232-inch television and pricey jewelry. The court also ordered him to pay $1.17 million in restitution.
Kingston was convicted of conspiring with his mother, Janice Turner, to defraud more than 20 victims out of $3.1 million in goods and services.
Prosecutors said the pair used forged documents and false promises of wire payments to trick businesses into delivering expensive merchandise.
The government’s sentencing memo revealed that the original pre-sentencing report failed to include all victims and the full scope of losses. Federal attorneys asked the court to consider the broader damage caused by the scheme, which spanned several years.
“There are 21 people or businesses who lost money because of Sean’s actions,” prosecutors stated. “Sean and his mother tried to steal about $3.1 million.”
Kingston’s mother, Janice Turner, was sentenced on July 23 to five years in federal prison after being convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
She was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following her sentence and attend a restitution hearing scheduled for October 16.
According to reports, authorities seized several of the luxury items during a raid on their Florida home. Prosecutors said the fraud involved over $3 million in losses.
Kingston, who had been on house arrest, was taken into custody immediately following the sentencing.