Singer Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after being convicted of a $1 million fraud scheme that targeted luxury item sellers. Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother Janice Eleanor Turner were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
The scheme involved Kingston using his fame to dupe buyers into giving him luxury items without paying for them. He would promise to feature the sellers and their products on social media in exchange for the items. However, once he received the items, Kingston or his mother would send fake wire receipts to the victims, claiming that the funds had cleared.
Prosecutors described Kingston as someone who relied on his celebrity status to scam his victims, describing him as a “thief and a conman.” The defense argued that Kingston was immature and lacked knowledge of his finances, relying on business managers and his mother for guidance.
Kingston’s mother was sentenced to five years in prison last month. She had previously testified obstruction during the trial. Kingston apologized to the judge before being sentenced, stating that he had learned from his actions. He will self-surrender at a later date due to health issues, but is currently in custody.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/sean-kingston-sentencing-fraud-florida-1ed467d2b587e28d97adab5a789307fd