Janice Turner, the mother of singer Sean Kingston, was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of probation on Wednesday after being convicted in a federal wire fraud case involving over $1 million.
Turner, 63, and her son, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
In May 2024, the 35-year-old singer and Turner were arrested in California on “fraud and theft charges”.
The pair were later charged in a federal court in Miami. The charges were reportedly due to their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud victim sellers of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry and other goods purchased via fraudulent documents.
According to CBS News, before her sentencing hearing, Turner tearfully addressed David Leibowitz, the judge, saying, “I’m sorry”.
“My intention was to keep my son afloat in this difficult industry. They used him and abused him. I am begging for mercy for me and my son.”
In addition to her prison term, Leibowitz also ordered Turner to pay restitution to the victims, with a hearing on the matter scheduled for October 16.
Humberto Dominguez, Turner’s attorney, expressed mixed feelings about the sentencing, saying, “We’ve won on some points, we obviously lost on other points, all which will be handled on appeal.”
“Overall, the judge tried to do what was right, what was fair.”
Kingston will be sentenced next month by the same judge. He remains under house arrest after posting bond.
The singer is best known for his 2007 chart-topping song ‘Beautiful Girls’; another hit, ‘Take You There’; and his collaboration with Justin Bieber on the song ‘Eenie Meenie.’
