inger Sean Kingston and his mother Janice Turner were found guilty on multiple federal wire fraud charges by a Florida jury on Friday, March 28, 2025, bringing a dramatic end to a week-long trial over a scam that prosecutors say netted the pair more than $1 million in goods. The emotional courtroom scene saw Kingston break down in tears as marshals took his 62-year-old mother into custody. Kingston, now 35, remains under house arrest until sentencing on July 11.
According to federal prosecutors, the scheme ran from April 2023 to March 2024. Kingston and Turner allegedly defrauded jewelers, auto dealers, and tech companies by using forged wire transfer confirmations to obtain high-end goods without ever paying.
Among the items seized were:
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A $480,000 bulletproof Cadillac Escalade
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A custom 232-inch TV worth $150,000
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Luxury watches and diamond jewelry worth hundreds of thousands
They allegedly used Kingston’s celebrity status and false promises of exposure to secure the items.
“He used his fame like a weapon,” said prosecutor Sarah Schall, pointing directly at Kingston during closing arguments.
Federal agents arrested both Kingston and Turner on May 23, 2024, during a raid on Kingston’s rented mansion in Southwest Ranches, a wealthy suburb west of Miami. Authorities removed bags, boxes, and even the oversized custom TV. A grand jury indicted them in July 2024, charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud—each carrying up to 20 years in prison, totaling a possible 100-year sentence if served consecutively. The trial began on Monday, March 24, and wrapped up by Friday afternoon. The jury deliberated for just three and a half hours before delivering a unanimous guilty verdict on all counts. Witnesses detailed how they were misled. Miami jeweler Moshe Edery testified that Kingston promised exposure to his millions of Instagram followers in exchange for a watch.
“I trusted his name,” Edery told NBC Miami, visibly shaken. “He never paid—I lost my job over it.”
A car dealer recalled the fake wire transfer Kingston used to drive away with the armored Escalade. Ver Ver Entertainment, the supplier of the massive TV, also sued Kingston, claiming unpaid bills. While Kingston presented himself as a celebrity businessman, the prosecution painted Janice Turner as the mastermind—handling deals and crafting the forged documents. Judge Roy Altman agreed, calling her a “flight risk” with a history of fraud, including a 2006 conviction that earned her 18 months in prison. As the guilty verdict was read, Kingston cried, hugged his mother, and shouted, “Protect my mom!” as she was led away.
Sean Kingston cried and told them, “Protect my mother.” as both him and his mom Janice Turner was found guilty of wire fraud.
Turner was remanded as a flight risk and taken away by US Marshals. pic.twitter.com/0kwBLfFhSs
This isn’t Kingston’s first run-in with lawsuits over unpaid jewelry. In 2015, a jeweler won $356,000 against him, and in 2018, another was awarded $301,000. But this case, now at the federal level, is far more serious.
Kingston’s lawyers, Joseph Rosenbaum and Humberto Dominguez, say they’ll appeal.
“We don’t think it’s right,” Rosenbaum told EW. “There wasn’t enough evidence.”
Kingston, who rose to fame in 2007 with the hit “Beautiful Girls”, was once a staple in pop and R&B circles, collaborating with stars like Justin Bieber and Soulja Boy. But recent years have seen him more in courtrooms than on charts. Kingston is barred from performing live, after Judge Altman denied his request to travel to Texas for a show. His mother remains in custody, and prosecutors are pushing for a substantial sentence, potentially 10 years or more.