Rapper and singer Sean Kingston, known for his 2007 hit “Beautiful Girls,” and his mother, Janice Turner, are facing serious legal trouble. The pair has been indicted in South Florida on federal charges for allegedly committing over $1 million worth of fraud. This development comes nearly two months after Kingston faced similar charges in Florida state court.
Kingston, 34, and Turner, 61, appeared in federal court for the first time last Friday. A Miami grand jury had earlier indicted them for their roles in a scheme involving fraudulent purchases of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry, and other luxury items.
The indictment accuses Kingston and Turner of using fraudulent documents to claim they had executed bank wire or monetary transfers for these items, when in fact, no such transactions had occurred. Despite not paying for the goods, they allegedly kept over $1 million worth of items.
The federal charges follow state charges from last month, when Kingston was booked into the Broward County jail. He was arrested on May 23 at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California’s Mojave Desert, where he was performing. Turner was apprehended the same day during a SWAT team raid on Kingston’s rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
According to the warrants for the state charges, the duo’s fraudulent activities between October and March included stealing almost $500,000 in jewelry, over $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a Cadillac Escalade dealer, more than $100,000 from First Republic Bank, and $86,000 from a custom bed manufacturer.
Despite the serious allegations, Kingston and his mother are maintaining their innocence. Their attorney, Robert Rosenblatt, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. However, he has previously stated that they look forward to addressing the charges and are “confident of a successful resolution.”
Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, is already on probation, serving a two-year sentence for trafficking stolen property. His mother, Turner, has a criminal history as well; she pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2006 for stealing over $160,000 and served nearly 1.5 years in prison.
The legal battles ahead for Kingston and Turner are significant, and their futures now hinge on the outcome of these federal and state charges.
