Sean Kingston Held in Florida Jail on $1 Million Fraud Charges

Sean Kingston remains in jail, with a bail set at $100,000, facing nine felony charges and a probation violation. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 3.

Sean Kingston finds himself behind bars in a Florida jail following his arrest on fraud charges. The arrest occurred in California on May 23, after law enforcement officials raided his residence in South Florida earlier that day.

Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, along with his mother, Janice Turner, faces charges including conducting an organised scheme to defraud, grand theft, identity theft, and related offences, as stated in arrest warrants issued by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. 

Authorities allege that the duo engaged in fraudulent activities that involved the theft of money, jewellery, a Cadillac Escalade, and furniture, cumulatively valued at over one million dollars.

The arrest took place at Fort Irwin, a military base in California’s Mojave Desert, where Kingston was scheduled to perform. 

He subsequently waived his rights to contest extradition in California, agreeing to be transferred to Florida to face the charges.

According to the details of the case, the alleged crimes by Kingston and Turner include stealing nearly $500,000 in jewellery, over $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from an Escalade dealership, more than $100,000 from First Republic Bank, and $86,000 from a customised bed manufacturer, all occurring between October 2023 and March 2024.

Sean Kingston, who was on probation for trafficking stolen property at the time of his recent arrest, now faces additional charges of probation violation. His attorney, Bob Rosenblatt, claimed Kingston was coerced into signing a waiver for his extradition to Florida without contesting it.

Rosenblatt announced that Kingston intends to plead not guilty. “I don’t know who is claiming they owe money,” he stated, referring to reports by CBS News. “We were aware of the watches, we are aware of the TV issue. If there are other issues I’m not sure about… It’s a breach of contract, not fraud. There’s no organized fraud at all.”

In a related lawsuit, a company has accused Kingston of failing to fully pay for a large TV and sound system. The company alleges that Kingston induced them to install the products with minimal upfront payment by making false promises, including claims that he would produce promotional videos featuring Justin Bieber.

Kingston, a Jamaican-born singer known for hits such as “Beautiful Girls,” “Fire Burning,” and “Eenie Meenie,” addressed the situation on his Instagram before his and his mother’s arrests. “I am good, and so is my mother,” he wrote. “My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.”

Further complicating Kingston’s legal woes, a civil complaint from Ver Ver Entertainment alleges that he partially paid for a 232-inch television and entertainment system but failed to settle the payment after installation fully. 

The complaint accuses him of exploiting his fame to deceive individuals and businesses.