Sean Kingston was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison Friday after he and his mother were convicted of defrauding multiple vendors of more than $1 million in luxury items ranging from high-end watches to a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade.
In a filing earlier this week, the “Beautiful Girls” singer pleaded with the judge to spare him any time behind bars. Kingston, 35, urged the judge to reject the five-to-six years in federal detention recommended by probation officials and sentence him to home detention along with an order to pay restitution.
At the sentencing Friday, Judge David Leibowitz opted to go between the probation recommendation and defense request, handing down his sentence of 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The judge set a restitution hearing for Oct. 16.
“We are content that the court did not go with the government’s request of five years and sentenced Sean below the sentencing guidelines instead,” Kingston’s lawyer Zeljka Bozanic said in a statement sent to Rolling Stone. “It is important to note that most of the restitution in this case was paid back, even before these charges were brought. 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.”
Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, argued in a Monday court filing that leniency was warranted in his case because he had accepted responsibility for his actions, his crimes were non-violent, and several family members depend on him financially. He also cited his history of charitable work.
“Mr. Anderson is deeply remorseful for his conduct and involvement in this scheme and has had time to step back and reflect on his actions and how to make amends,” the filing said. “Mr. Anderson accepted responsibility in this case and has made all the positive steps toward learning and growing from this situation.”
At a separate hearing last month, Kingston’s mother, Janice Turner, was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of probation. Turner apologized to the court for her conduct. “I’m sorry. My intention was to keep my son afloat in this difficult industry,” she said. “They used him and abused him. I am begging for mercy for me and my son.”
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Kingston and his mother were indicted last year on charges they engaged in a wire fraud scheme between April 2023 and March 2024. Prosecutors said Anderson reached out to his victims online and negotiated the purchase of high-end merchandise such as the Escalade, jewelry, and a massive, 232-inch LED TV.
Officials said Anderson would invite the victims to his high-end homes in the Broward County area and use his celebrity status to lull them into trusting him. When payment was due for the merchandise, Anderson or his mother would text the victims fake wire receipts, according to court filings. When the funds never materialized, the victims filed lawsuits or turned to law enforcement.
A jury convicted the mother-son duo after less than four hours of deliberations on March 28. According to Florida outlet Local10, Turner was immediately remanded to federal custody as Anderson cried out, “Protect my mother.”
Kingston burst onto the music scene at age 17 in 2007 when his monster hit “Beautiful Girls” – a reggae-infused pop single that sampled the 1961 song “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King – hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
From Rolling Stone US
