Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, are facing decades in prison after being indicted on wire fraud charges.
The rapper, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and Turner both made their first appearances in Miami federal court Friday for their alleged involvement in a $1 million wire fraud scheme.
They have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to “defraud victim sellers of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry and other goods purchased” via fraudulent documents. If convicted, Kingston and Turner each face up to 20 years in prison on each count.
The United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida stated in its indictment that the defendants “unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers.” The office alleges that the payments never went through, resulting in the defendants obtaining $1 million in property despite non-payment.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Kingston’s representatives for comment.
Nearly two months ago, Kingston was arrested in California, several hours after a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in Southwest Ranches, Florida. At the time, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said the “Beautiful Girls” artist was taken into custody on a Florida warrant for numerous fraud and theft charges. His mother was also arrested that same day.
Following his arrest in May, Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney representing Kingston and his mother, told the Associated Press in an email, “We are aware of some of the allegations” being made against both of them. The statement continued, “We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Shawn and his mother.”
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