Sean Kingston seeks leniency ahead of wire fraud sentencing in federal court

Kingston, convicted of wire fraud with his mother for defrauding luxury retailers, hopes for reduced prison sentence.

Rapper and singer Sean Kingston is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after he and his mother were found guilty of wire fraud and grand theft involving over $1 million. Kingston, 35, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was convicted alongside his mother, Janice Turner, in May 2024. The two were accused of orchestrating a long-running fraud scheme targeting luxury businesses.

According to federal prosecutors, Kingston and Turner used the rapper’s celebrity status to deceive high-end retailers into delivering goods—including luxury cars, jewelry, and electronics—without receiving payment. The indictment stated that fraudulent wire transfers were used to make the transactions appear legitimate, but the funds never cleared.

The fraudulent activities allegedly continued for several years until March 2024. Among the defrauded businesses were a luxury jewelry store, an upscale bed manufacturer, an exotic car dealership, and a premium microLED television company.

Kingston, who rose to fame in 2007 with his Billboard-topping hit “Beautiful Girls,” was arrested in May following a SWAT raid at his Florida residence. He was later placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, while Turner, 63, was sentenced in July to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

In advance of his sentencing, Kingston has expressed remorse and is requesting a sentence below the federal advisory guidelines. According to court filings, he is seeking leniency, emphasizing his regret for his actions and his willingness to make amends.

Since his breakout success, Kingston has released three studio albums, though his legal troubles have overshadowed recent efforts to revitalize his music career. The sentencing hearing will determine how much time Kingston will serve in prison, bringing closure to a high-profile fraud case that has drawn national attention.