Sean Kingston and his 61-year-old mother Janice Turner have been charged with committing more than $1 million worth of fraud and theft over the past few months.
According to a report Billboard published on Wednesday, May 29, the seasoned artist and his mom have been accused of concocting a scheme to defraud banks and steal pricy items like jewelry, furniture and lavish cars from various businesses. They both face 10 charges including grand theft, identity theft, writing faulty checks, and probation violation. Warrants from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office say the mother-son duo allegedly committed the crimes while Kingston was on probation for trafficking stolen property.
Kingston and Turner were arrested last week after a SWAT team raided his rented home in Southwest Ranches, Fla. Authorities detained Turner while she was at the home, and her son was apprehended following a performance at Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert. Turner was able to post $160,000 for bail and was released on Sunday. Kingston, born Kisean Paul Anderson, is still in police custody.
The charges stem from a lawsuit from attorney Dennis Card for his client Ver Ver Entertainment. Card was on site when a SWAT team raided Kingston’s rented home in Southwest Ranches, Fla. Authorities confiscated various items including a home entertainment system with a massive 232-inch LED TV screen. Card’s lawsuit details a pattern of fraud and theft from October to March 2024 in which they allegedly stole $480,000 in jewelry, $159,701.49 from the Escalade dealer and $86,568.33 from a company that makes customized beds. They are also on the hook for more than $100,000 from First Republic Bank and over $200,000 from Bank of America.
The “Fire Burning” artist didn’t publicly appear at his extradition hearing on Tuesday, but the Associated Press confirms he did sign papers to waive his rights. His attorney, Robert Rosenblatt, previously spoke about his client’s plan to sign the waiver of extradition last Friday.
“We were in the process of having him return to Florida after his show,” Rosenblatt told NBC News. “We want him back ASAP so we can show this is merely a civil case and not criminal. We look forward to challenging this case in court.”