Sean Kingston was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison and three years of supervised release on Friday (August 15).
According to NBC Miami, the ruling came after a jury found him and his mother, Janice Turner, guilty of wire fraud earlier this year.
During the court proceedings, Kingston, who sought only house arrest for his punishment, expressed his remorse for his crimes.
“I apologize, I apologize, I’ve learned from my actions,” Kingston said. “All I’m asking for is to accept my apology to the court.”
Kanema Morris, Kingston’s sister, pointed too all the good that Kingston did after the sentencing hearing
“Sean has played a major role in a lot of people‘s life and he is a blessing and he will continue to be that,” Morris said. “I just wanna say change won’t break our spirit, we stand in faith, I will be screaming ‘free my family’ until they are home where they belong.”
After the decision was handed down, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton did not mince words when it came to description of the rapper’s character.
“He’s a 35-year-old man and led a celebrity lifestyle…And can no longer afford that today,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton said. “He is a thief through and through.”
Kingston and Turner, were found guilty of organized fraud and grand theft charges in May for defrauding businesses of more than $1 million.
Turner, 63, was sentenced to five years in federal prison last month and three years of probation.
From April 2023 to March 2024, Kingston used social media to arrange purchases of luxury items such as bulletproof Escalade, watches and a 19-foot LED TV, After the deals were agreed upton, , Kingston invited the sellers to one of his Florida homes and “promised to feature them and their products on social media.”
Per Investigators, said that when it came time to pay, Kingston or his mother would “text the victims fake wire receipts for the luxury merchandise” when it came to pay.
After the payments didn’t go through, victims often contacted could not reach Kingston and Turner. The only received the funds after filing lawsuits or contacting the authorities.
A restitution hearing is set for Oct. 16.
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