Sean Kingston will not only spend the next three-and-a-half years in a U.S. federal prison but must also repay victims of a multimillion-dollar wire fraud scheme that he orchestrated with his mother, Janice Turner.
The 34-year-old artist was sentenced on Friday, August 15, in a Florida courtroom, months after he and Turner were found guilty of defrauding multiple businesses of over $1 million through fraudulent transactions. Court documents revealed the duo obtained jewelry, luxury vehicles, and other high-value goods by falsely claiming payments had been made, while never finalizing the transfers.
Turner was sentenced in March to five years behind bars, while Kingston faced a maximum of six years. His defense team requested a lighter sentence of about two years, citing his previously clean record and community service. Prosecutors, however, pushed for a term closer to the statutory maximum. The judge ultimately settled on 42 months, a decision that struck a balance between both sides.
In addition to prison time, Kingston will serve supervised release after completing his sentence. Conditions include drug testing, DNA submission, and maintaining at least 30 hours of lawful employment per week. His probation officer will also be permitted to visit him without prior notice.
Kingston’s legal team requested that he be allowed to serve his time under home confinement so he could continue generating income from music to repay victims. The court, however, imposed incarceration, with a separate hearing scheduled for October 16 to finalize the restitution plan.
