“Lovely Ladies” hitmaker Sean Kingston will spend three and a half years behind bars for his involvement in a months-long scheme that defrauded luxurious items companies of greater than $1 million.
U.S. District Decide David Leibowitz handed down the 35-year-old performer’s sentence Friday, months after a Florida jury convicted the singer (born Kisean Paul Anderson) and his mom, Janice Turner, in March on one depend of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 4 counts of wire fraud every.
“We respect the Courtroom’s choice and the judicial course of,” Kingston legal professional Zeljka Bozanic instructed The Occasions in an announcement. Bozanic stated Kingston’s protection workforce is “content material” the court docket opted for a shorter jail sentence — the federal government had requested 5 years in jail — and stated “many of the restitution on this case was paid again, even earlier than these costs had been introduced.”
“Sean is taking this as a studying expertise and can proceed transferring ahead in a optimistic path,” Bozanic added. “We’re actively reviewing all obtainable choices, together with potential appeals, to make sure his rights are absolutely protected.”
Throughout his court docket look in a South Florida courtroom Friday, Kingston apologized to the decide and stated he had realized from his actions. Underneath home arrest since his conviction, Kingston was taken into custody instantly regardless of a protection legal professional’s request that Kingston self-surrender at a later date because of well being points. Previous to the sentencing, Bozanic filed a sentencing memorandum requesting that the court docket think about a shorter sentence.
“Mr. Anderson accepted accountability on this case and has made all of the optimistic steps towards studying and rising from this example,” Bozanic stated within the memorandum, which additionally describes the singer’s earlier charitable acts. The doc notes that Kingston has “by no means served jail time earlier than” and {that a} “excessive sentence will not be mandatory to discourage future conduct.”
Federal prosecutors within the Southern District of Florida accused Kingston and his mom of swindling greater than $480,000 price of bijou from one individual and, from others, a Cadillac Escalade price almost $160,000 and furnishings costing upward of $86,500. Prosecutors stated Kingston and his mom additionally stole greater than $200,000 from Financial institution of America and greater than $100,000 from First Republic Financial institution — allegations they initially denied.
SWAT officers descended on the “Take You There” singer’s Florida residence final Might. His mom was arrested throughout the raid and Kingston was arrested quickly after close to the Fort Irwin Military base in San Bernardino County. Turner was sentenced to 5 years in jail final month.
Kingston rose to reputation within the early 2000s for “Lovely Ladies,” which samples Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” He’s additionally identified for the songs “Eenie Meenie,” “Hearth Burning” and “Me Love.”
Occasions editorial library director Cary Schneider and the Related Press contributed to this report.
