Sean Kingston booked into Florida jail on $1M fraud charges
(NewsNation) — Rapper Sean Kingston has been booked into Florida and faces criminal charges that allege he and his mother committed more than $1 million in fraud in an elaborate scheme the two ran together, records show.
Kingston, 34, and Janice Turner, 61, were arrested on May 23 in connection with the fraud charges after a raid on Kingston’s mansion outside of Fort Lauderdale. Turner was taken into custody, and Kingston — whose real name is Kisean Anderson — was arrested in California, where he had been performing at a military base.
The pair have been charged with operating an organized scheme to defraud, along with grand theft, identify theft and other offenses, according to booking records released Sunday when Kingston and Turner were booked into the Broward County Jail.
Warrants released by the department allege Kington and Turner stole $480,000 in jewelry, more than $200,000 from Bank of America, nearly $160,000 from an Escalade dealership and more than $100,000 from First Republic Bank. In addition, the two are alleged to have stolen $86,000 from a customized bed manufacturer.
Kingston is being held on $100,000 bond.
Kingston was arrested May 23 at Fort Irwin, an Army training installation in California, where he had been performing. Turner was arrested on the same date after SWAT team members and sheriff’s deputies raided her son’s mansion.
Kingston waived his right to fight extradition and agreed to turn himself over to Florida authorities. Prior to being arrested, the Jamaican-born musician posted on Instagram, "People love negative energy! I am good and so is my mother!... my lawyers are handling everything as we speak."
In addition to the other charges, Kingston was also arrested for violating his probation. Court records show that Kingston was on probation for the trafficking of stolen merchandise.
The pair were scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney representing Kingston and his mother, previously told reporters that he looked forward to addressing the criminal charges and was confident that a successful resolution could be reached.
Kingston was also named in a lawsuit that alleges he entered into a contract to purchase a $150,000 entertainment system that included a 232-inch television. The complaint alleges that he used his fame to defraud his victims.
Kingston is best known for “Beautiful Girls,” which rose to No. 1 in 2007. He also collaborated with Justin Bieber on the song "Eenie Meane." The lawsuit claims that Kingston said he had a current and working relationship with Bieber.
He allegedly promised that he and Bieber would appear in promotional videos in exchange for a lower down payment for the entertainment system.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.