SEAN Kingston has been accused of ripping off a jeweler, a car dealer, and a custom bed maker for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The singer, 35, faces a $1 million fraud trial for allegedly stealing custom mattresses, nearly half a million dollars worth of lavish jewelry, and a Cadillac Escalade last year, police said.
Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mom, Janice Turner, are facing federal and state charges for the alleged fraud scheme.
Their trial started on Monday as the mother-son duo are charged with five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The singer and his mom, 61, walked out of court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, without giving a comment, but Turner held a Bible as she left the courthouse, according to NBC affiliate WTVJ.
The duo were both arrested in May 2024 after cops raided Kingston’s mansion in Southwest Ranches, Florida, about 20 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale.
Kingston, a singer best known for his 2007 hit Beautiful Girls, and Turner are accused of defrauding multiple businesses from October 2023 to March 2024.
Prosecutors said Kingston and Turner bought the items using bank wires and payment transfers.
Despite the payments not working, cops said the mom and son kept the items.
Arrest warrants revealed the luxury items Kingston allegedly purchased fraudulently.
The singer bought a bed worth more than $86,000 from a luxury bed company called Maree.
Arrest warrants also claimed Kingston bought a Cadillac Escalade, a luxury SUV worth $159,701.49, from an exotic car dealership.
Sean Kingston’s house raided by police after ‘Beautiful Girls’ rapper accused of not paying for $150,000 sound system
He allegedly stole jewelry and watches costing $480,000 from luxury jewelers, the arrest warrants said.
The documents include alleged purchases from a luxury furniture store and a company that makes TV and entertainment systems.
The total of all of the items cost more than $1 million, prosecutors said.
The arrest warrants revealed the items were forked over after Kingston name-dropped other celebrities, but then he allegedly didn’t pay up.
Charges against Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mom, Janice Turner, both face charges by a grand jury.
Anderson and Turner have both been charged with
- One count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud
- Five counts of wire fraud
If they’re convicted, both Anderson and Turner could face up to 20 years in prison on each count.
Leading up to his arrest, Kingston faced multiple lawsuits accusing him of not paying for his shopping sprees.
In 2014, New York City jeweler Avi Davidov accused Kingston of owing him over $200,000 for custom bling.
He claimed Kingston wrote his company several checks that bounced.
Davidov won the lawsuit and was awarded more than $350,000.
‘SHADY’ KIDNAPPING SCARE
Kingston then fell into trouble again when he only paid $185,000 for a $225,000 watch made by Los Angeles company Avianne Jewelers.
The singer told cops he was kidnapped over the dispute in 2015, according to TMZ.
He said after agreeing to exchange the watch for a cheaper one, the jeweler refused to give him a watch.
Kingston told cops he became angry and refused to get out of the jeweler’s car.
Then, he told cops the jeweler’s group locked him in the car and drove to a secluded location and kicked him out of the vehicle.
“Never trust Avianne jewelers… Period.. Shady business.. GOD never misses anything so we will leave this in his hands but just know KARMA!” Kingston wrote on X at the time.
Then, in 2016, Kingston got tangled up with another New York City-based jeweler named Aqua Masters.
Aqua Masters claimed he didn’t pay a $300,000 jewelry bill for nine custom pieces. The jeweler won the lawsuit.
Miami jewelry company Haimov Jewelers has also sued Kingston three times since 2009.
Kingston is known for loving bling and luxury items, and even showed them off when promoting his song Peace of Mind during an appearance on The CW affiliate KTLA-TV in 2019.
After the hosts asked about his accessories, he opened up about his taste.
“I love jewelry,” Kingston said on air.
“I’ve been loving jewelry since I was 17.”
Kingston had major hits throughout the 2000s and collaborated with stars like Justin Bieber and Soulja Boy at his peak.
While leaving the courthouse with his mom on Monday, Kingston shared a message to his fans.
“All my fans that supported, I love you guys,” Kingston said.
The trial’s jury selection process continues in Palm Beach, Florida.
