Sean Kingston In Home Detention After Guilty Verdict Over $1M Fraud
Sean Kingston has regained supervised freedom amid his federal wire fraud case.
The singer reportedly returns home after making significant headway in his release process following detention for a fraud case.
Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, were arrested for plotting and carrying out a fraud scheme, swindling more than $1 million from victims.
Kingston’s attorney, Zeljka Bozanic, confirmed to news sources that Kingston’s bond has been posted, and he is in the process of being released.
The songwriter will also be placed under home detention with GPS monitoring and must surrender his passport. Previously, Kingston was in custody because he could not pay the $100,000 cash bond related to his federal wire fraud case.
After receiving a guilty verdict on all five charges alongside his mother, Turner, last month, Kingston was initially placed on home detention pending sentencing, provided he could secure the bond.
However, due to his inability to come up with the funds, TMZ reported that he was taken into custody at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
In a report by The Blast in March, a federal court ruled that Kingston and his mother, Turner, were guilty of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that exceeded $1 million.
They were arrested in October 2023 and accused of deceiving various businesses, including a jewelry store, a luxury bed company, a used luxury and exotic car dealership, and a luxury micro LED TV provider.
Federal prosecutors claimed that the duo wrongfully enriched themselves by falsely asserting they had made payments for high-end goods, which, in reality, never occurred.
Their elaborate scheme resulted in significant theft, including a $160,000 Cadillac Escalade and $480,000 worth of jewelry, among other items, all acquired without payment. A jury convicted them on all five charges, and each now faces the possibility of up to 20 years in prison for each count.
During the court proceedings, Kingston appeared visibly emotional, reportedly shedding tears as the jury delivered a decisive verdict against his mother, who is also facing charges. During the process, he pleaded with the U.S. Marshals to ensure his mother’s safety as she was escorted out of the courtroom.
Turner is reportedly now considered a flight risk and will remain in custody until their sentencing on July 11, while Kingston is placed under home detention.
The duo was taken into custody last May at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California, following a warrant issued by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. They entered a not-guilty plea during their arraignment hearing in August before Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra.
Turner proved she is a devoted mother who has demonstrated a willingness for her son’s safety despite the risks surrounding the situation.
During the fourth day of their trial, she openly admitted to sending fake wire transfers from her bank account to protect him from being exploited. Turner described herself as a strict mother who pays attention to details and explained that she manages all of her son’s business dealings.
She added that she resorted to taking these drastic measures due to past experiences where he had been taken advantage of. Turner maintains that her intentions were always to repay any debts incurred through her actions.
Kingston has a history of legal troubles, having been on two years of probation for trafficking stolen property prior to his recent arrest.
Additionally, Turner has faced significant legal issues as well; in 2006, he pleaded guilty to bank fraud for stealing over $160,000, resulting in a prison sentence of nearly 1.5 years.
The singer and his mother have also faced multiple lawsuits from various businesses over unpaid debts. In 2015, a customized watch vendor filed a lawsuit in a New York City federal court seeking $356,000 after the singer failed to make payment.
In 2018, a New York jeweler also successfully sued him for $301,000, alleging that he scammed the store out of nine items.
In February, a Florida-based entertainment systems company took legal action for $120,000 owed from a $150,000 bill related to installing a 232-inch television in his home.
