R&B artist Sean Kingston has been remanded into federal custody after failing to post a $100,000 bond, just weeks after he and his mother, Janice Turner, were found guilty in a high-profile federal wire fraud case in Miami.
According to Local 10 News, the 35-year-old artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, is currently being held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. Court records show that Kingston was unable to satisfy the required cash bond following his March 28 conviction on all five charges tied to a fraud scheme that allegedly scammed victims out of over $1 million in luxury goods.
During the emotional courtroom proceedings, Kingston was seen clasping his hands and crying as the jury read the guilty verdict for both him and his 62-year-old mother. As U.S. Marshals took Turner into custody, Kingston reportedly shouted, “Protect my mother.”
The case centered around a lavish scheme involving high-ticket items, including a colossal television, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in luxury watches. The prosecution called multiple witnesses who testified that they had been deceived by Kingston and his mother, who allegedly made grandiose promises and failed to deliver payments on expensive merchandise.
Many of the goods in question were seized during a raid at Kingston’s home in Southwest Ranches, Florida.
Though Kingston chose not to testify in his own defense, the court heard from Turner, whose time on the stand ultimately worked against her. The judge determined that her testimony undermined her credibility and cited it as part of the reasoning for declaring her a flight risk. Turner, who has prior fraud convictions, was described by the judge as the “fixer” and “nerve center” of the scheme—essentially the mastermind behind the operation.
Now, with both Kingston and his mother behind bars, the case marks a dramatic fall from grace for the singer who once topped charts with hits like “Beautiful Girls” and “Take You There.”
Kingston’s legal team has not released a public statement regarding the bond failure or whether an appeal is in the works. For now, the former star remains in custody as the fallout from the fraud case continues to unfold.
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