Rapper and singer Sean Kingston and his mother have been indicted in South Florida on federal charges of committing more than $1 million worth of fraud.
Kingston, 34, and his mother, 61-year-old Janice Turner, made their first appearances Friday in federal court, according to court records. A Miami grand jury returned an indictment earlier this month accusing Kingston and his mother of participating in a scheme to defraud victims of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry and other goods through the use of fraudulent documents.
Kingston was booked into the Broward County jail on similar state charges last month following a May 23 arrest at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California’s Mojave Desert where he was performing. Turner was arrested the same day as her son, when a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
According to the federal indictment, Kingston and Turner falsely claimed that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers for high-end items when no such transfers had taken place. Investigators said Kingston and Turner then kept over $1 million worth of fraudulently purchased items despite not paying for them.
The warrants for the state charges say that from October to March, they stole almost $500,000 in jewelry, more than $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a Cadilac Escalade dealer, more than $100,000 from First Republic Bank and $86,000 from the maker of customized beds.
The Jamaican American performer had a No. 1 hit with “Beautiful Girls” in 2007 and collaborated with Justin Bieber on the song “Eenie Meenie.”
Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney for Kingston and his mother, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment from The Associated Press. He previously said they looked forward to addressing the charges and were “confident of a successful resolution.”
Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, was already serving a two-year probation sentence for trafficking stolen property.
His mother pleaded guilty in 2006 to bank fraud for stealing over $160,000 and served nearly 1.5 years in prison, according to federal court records.
Latest Stories
-
Stampede in southwestern Nigerian city causes multiple deaths
17 minutes -
Tens of thousands without water in Mayotte as curfew brought in
31 minutes -
ORAL: We won’t witch-hunt, we’ll focus on transparency, not revenge – Ablakwa
54 minutes -
Attempted robbery: Accused claims he carried cutlass for protection
1 hour -
Excavator operator jailed for stealing
1 hour -
African fans age-shame me for putting on some outfits – Tiwa Savage
2 hours -
Tiwa Savage criticised by female fans for stance on cheating in relationships
2 hours -
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates
2 hours -
Congo river boat sinks killing at least 22
2 hours -
Embattled Liberian speaker questioned by police over parliament fire
3 hours -
‘I won’t be a judge in my own court; ORAL is about protecting public purse’ – Ablakwa
4 hours -
Bawumia joins thousands in Kumasi for burial prayers for Ashanti Regional Imam
4 hours -
Blue Gold Bogoso Prestea Limited challenges government actions in court
4 hours -
Verdicts due for 51 men in Pelicot mass rape trial that shook France
4 hours -
Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC
4 hours