Sean Kingston will be imprisoned for three-and-a-half years after he and his mother were found guilty of a fraud scheme topping $1 million.
The 35-year-old “Beautiful Girls” singer, real name Kisean Anderson, and mother Janice Turner, were found guilty in March of using fraudulent documents to acquire luxury items ranging from high-end watches to a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade.
Earlier this week, Anderson pleaded with Florida judge David Leibowitz to reject the five-to-six years behind bars recommended by probation officials
He asked instead to be placed under home detention and ordered to pay restitution, rather than serving time like his mother who received five years.
Leibowitz opted to split the difference between the recommendations at sentencing on Friday, handing Anderson a 42-month stay in prison and three years of supervised release. He will return to court for a restitution hearing on October 16.
“We are content that the court did not go with the government’s request of five years and sentenced Sean below the sentencing guidelines instead,” Kingston’s lawyer Zeljka Bozanic said in a statement sent to Rolling Stone.
“It is important to note that most of the restitution in this case was paid back, even before these charges were brought. Sean is taking this as a learning experience and will continue moving forward in a positive direction. We are actively reviewing all available options, including potential appeals, to ensure his rights are fully protected.”
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Kingston and his mother were indicted last year on charges of engaging in a wire fraud scheme between April 2023 and March 2024. Prosecutors said Anderson reached out to his victims online and negotiated the purchase of high-end merchandise such as the Escalade, jewelry, and a massive, 232-inch LED TV.
Officials said Anderson would invite the victims to his high-end homes in the Broward County area and use his celebrity status to lull them into trusting him.
When payment was due for the merchandise, Anderson or his mother would text the victims fake wire receipts, according to court filings. When the funds never materialized, the victims filed lawsuits or turned to law enforcement.
