Sean Kingston, the chart-topping artist best known for his 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls," was sentenced on August 15, 2025, to three and a half years in federal prison for orchestrating a $1 million wire fraud scheme. The sentencing, which took place in a Florida federal court, marks a dramatic fall from grace for the singer, whose real name is Kisean Paul Anderson. He was convicted alongside his mother, Janice Turner, in March following a swift five-day trial that ended with both found guilty on all counts.
Kingston, now 35, and Turner, 62, were found to have defrauded luxury goods vendors of more than $1 million between April 2023 and March 2024. According to Billboard, the duo exploited Kingston's celebrity status, convincing vendors to deliver high-end merchandise — including cars, jewelry, and entertainment systems — without upfront payment. They promised social media promotion or name-dropped other celebrities as potential referral clients. When payment was due, they sent fake wire transfer receipts, making it appear as though funds were on the way.
Among the ill-gotten goods were a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, an Audemars Piguet watch, three high-end watches procured with fraudulent wire transfers totaling $765,000, and a massive 19-foot LED television. As USA TODAY and AP News reported, the duo targeted businesses ranging from jewelry stores and bed companies to car dealerships and luxury electronics vendors.
The scheme unraveled in May 2024 when a SWAT team raided Kingston's South Florida mansion. Turner was arrested at the scene, while Kingston was apprehended shortly after performing at an Army training base in California's Mojave Desert. Both pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud, but the jury needed less than four hours to convict them on all charges, according to WPLG Local 10.
During the trial, prosecutors presented damning evidence, including text messages from Kingston to his mother instructing her to create fake receipts to fool vendors. Turner admitted on the stand to falsifying wire transfers, claiming she sought to protect her son from scammers by delaying payments. Kingston, for his part, chose not to testify. Before sentencing, he apologized to the court and expressed remorse, saying he had learned from his actions — a move that may have contributed to his receiving a shorter sentence than his mother, as noted by NBC News.
Judge David S. Leibowitz, who presided over the case, sentenced Kingston to 42 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered restitution to be determined at a hearing scheduled for October. Kingston's mother, meanwhile, received a five-year sentence in July and is currently incarcerated at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. The judge explained that Kingston's sentence was below the federal guidelines of 57 to 71 months, in part because Kingston did not testify and lie under oath as his mother did. "Three and a half years is much lower than the guidelines so we are happy about that part," Kingston’s defense attorney, Robert Rosenblatt, told WPLG Local 10. "I think the judge saw through the fact that this is not a typical fraud you see in other cases and also most of the people were paid back."
Kingston’s legal team had pleaded for house arrest, emphasizing his charitable work and absence of prior convictions. His lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, said in a statement to Billboard, "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." Bozanic also noted that much of the restitution was paid back before charges were even filed. The court, however, opted for a custodial sentence, and Kingston was remanded into custody immediately after the hearing to begin serving time at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
Financial consequences for Kingston extend beyond his prison term. While incarcerated, half his salary will be directed toward restitution, and 10% of his monthly gross earnings will be applied to repayment once he is released, according to WPLG Local 10. The full amount of restitution is expected to be finalized during the October hearing.
Turner’s legal troubles predate this case. Federal court records reviewed by The Guardian reveal she pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2006, serving nearly 18 months in prison for stealing over $160,000. Both mother and son have faced multiple civil lawsuits over the years for failing to pay for luxury goods, most recently by a Florida entertainment systems company in February 2024.
The prosecution argued that Kingston and Turner’s scheme was made possible by Kingston’s fame and the trust it engendered among vendors. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida stated that Kingston "often persuaded his victim vendors to stray from their regular business practices and convinced them to either supply or deliver their goods and services prior to receipt of full payment." This manipulation, combined with the use of fraudulent documents, enabled the pair to acquire a staggering amount of luxury merchandise over the course of a year.
Kingston’s defense argued that his maturity had been stunted by early fame, suggesting he had little knowledge of his finances. The singer, who burst onto the scene as a teenager and collaborated with stars like Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, and Justin Bieber, has released four albums and enjoyed international success. Yet, as prosecutors pointed out, celebrity status did not excuse criminal behavior.
After his conviction, Kingston’s bond terms were modified to include home detention with electronic monitoring, and he posted $200,000 in cash to the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida. No facility was immediately listed for him in the Federal Bureau of Prisons database following sentencing.
The convictions and sentences mark a sobering chapter for both Kingston and his mother. While Kingston’s lawyer expressed hope for appeals and emphasized the artist’s efforts to make amends, the court’s decision underscores the seriousness with which authorities treat fraud — even when carried out by celebrities. As restitution hearings approach, the final financial reckoning for Kingston and Turner remains to be seen.
For now, the man once celebrated for his infectious summer anthems faces a future defined not by music charts, but by prison walls and the long process of repaying those he defrauded.