Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, have been indicted on federal charges for a $1 million fraud scheme involving luxury items. The indictment, issued on July 11 by a Miami grand jury, accuses them of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud, each carrying a potential 20-year prison sentence.
Kingston, 34, known for his hit “Beautiful Girls,” and Turner, 61, allegedly used fraudulent bank wire claims to acquire high-end goods such as cars and jewelry without paying for them. From October to March, they reportedly stole nearly $500,000 in jewelry, over $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a Cadillac Escalade dealer, $100,000 from First Republic Bank, and $86,000 from a custom bed maker.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida stated that Kingston would use his celebrity status to persuade businesses to release items before receiving payment. Dennis Card, an attorney who filed a lawsuit against Kingston for stolen electronics, mentioned, “He lures people using his celebrity into having them release things without him paying for it and then he simply never pays.”
Kingston and Turner were previously arrested in May on similar state charges. Kingston was apprehended while preparing to perform at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California, and Turner was arrested during a SWAT raid at Kingston’s rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Both are currently out on bail, with Kingston released on a $10,000 cash bond and Turner on a $5,000 cash bond. Their next federal court appearance is scheduled for August 9.
Kingston is already serving a two-year probation sentence for trafficking stolen property, and Turner previously served over a year in prison for a 2006 bank fraud conviction.
Robert Rosenblatt, their attorney, expressed confidence in a successful resolution to the charges, stating they plan to vigorously defend themselves.
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