Sean Kingston, the rapper known for hits like “Beautiful Girls,” just received a hefty sentence – three and a half years in prison – linked to a fraudulent scheme that racked up $1 million in damages.
Going by Kisean Paul Anderson in real life, Kingston was declared guilty of wire fraud back in March after a federal trial revealed the extent of his and his mother’s involvement in this crime. Along with his mom, Janice Eleanor Turner, Kingston was charged with five counts and could have faced 20 years per count. Turner’s verdict came down earlier with a five-year sentence in July.
During his sentencing on Friday, Kingston addressed the court, letting Judge David Leibowitz know that he had taken the whole situation as a lesson learned. Despite requests from his lawyer to let him report to prison later due to health reasons, Kingston was taken into custody right away.
Zeljka Bozanic, Kingston’s lawyer, issued a comment to Entertainment Weekly following the ruling, stating they accepted the court’s judgment, especially happy that the judge’s sentence was lighter than what the government suggested, which was five years. She pointed out that much of the money owed was repaid even before the charges were made.
“Sean sees this as an opportunity to grow and plans to keep making positive strides moving forward. We’re also looking at all options, including the possibility of appealing, to ensure his rights are well-protected,” Bozanic added.
Kingston found himself in trouble last year when authorities raided his South Florida home and arrested him in Fort Irwin, California. After the probe, federal prosecutors detailed how Kingston and his mother somehow managed to mislead banks about payments for luxury items – cars, jewelry, and more – which they hadn’t actually paid for, raking in over $1 million from this scheme.
With four albums under his belt, the most recent being the 2022 effort Road to Deliverance, Kingston has shared stages and tracks with big names like Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, and Chris Brown as well.
Back in September 2022, Kingston elaborated on his career success with “Beautiful Girls,” explaining its incredible milestone of hitting over 1 billion streams on YouTube. “I feel so blessed, it’s amazing. It’s like we’ve created something timeless,” he mentioned, reflecting on the achievement.
