Yes. A federal jury convicted Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, of wire fraud in March 2025. Each was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner was later sentenced to five years in federal prison; Kingston received 42 months.
What the jury found
Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and Turner were each convicted on five counts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said the scheme involved more than $1 million in property. The verdict was announced on April 4, 2025, after a federal trial. The Justice Department’s verdict announcement describes the convictions and the property involved.
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How the scheme worked, according to trial evidence
The Justice Department said that from April 2023 through March 2024, Kingston contacted sellers on social media to arrange purchases of high-end goods. He invited sellers to homes in Broward County and used his celebrity status, promises of social-media promotion, and references to possible celebrity referrals to build trust.
When payment was due, Kingston or Turner sent sellers fake wire receipts that appeared to show a transfer. The DOJ’s account of the trial evidence says no money had been sent from legitimate accounts. Some sellers were never paid; others received payment only after lawsuits or law-enforcement involvement.
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Items identified by the DOJ included a bulletproof Escalade, high-end watches, and a 232-inch LED television. These are examples of goods tied to this case, not a general measure of wire-fraud losses.
Both received federal prison sentences
Turner was sentenced on July 23, 2025, to five years in federal prison. Kingston was sentenced on August 15, 2025, to 42 months. The DOJ’s sentencing release reports both outcomes and the case’s more-than-$1-million figure. Read the Justice Department’s sentencing announcement.
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At Kingston’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton characterized him as relying on his celebrity to defraud victims. Defense attorney Zeljka Bozanic argued that no one had shown Kingston how to invest his money. Those were statements by the prosecutor and defense counsel, respectively—not separate findings by the court. The Associated Press reported on the sentencing and the competing arguments.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where the case was investigated and how to find filings
The U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office and the Broward Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Anton and Trevor Jones prosecuted it. Related federal filings are identified as case 24-cr-60126 in the Southern District of Florida; the DOJ directs readers to the court website and PACER for case records.
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