Sean Kingston, Mother Indicted in for Wire Fraud

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Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, have been indicted on wire fraud charges and could now face decades in prison.

The rapper, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, and Turner appeared in Miami federal court on Friday on accusations of participating in a $1 million wire fraud scheme, The Hollywood Reporter noted.

They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. The scheme allegedly involved defrauding sellers of luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other high-end items using fake documents. If found guilty, both could face up to 20 years in prison for each count.

According to the indictment from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the defendants “unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers.”

These transactions never actually occurred, allowing the defendants to acquire $1 million worth of property without making any payments, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Turner, 61, has a prior conviction for bank fraud in 2006, which resulted in nearly 18 months in prison.

Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin in Southern California on May 23 and booked into San Bernardino jail pending an extradition hearing Entertainment Weekly reported.

Before the arrest, authorities had raided his 4,000-square-foot South Florida home. They apprehended this mother and reportedly seized several valuable items.

“People love negative energy!” Kingston wrote on Instragram shortly after news of the arrest broke. “I am good and so is my mother! My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.”

The arrest warrants list numerous businesses Kingston and Turner are accused of defrauding knowingly, including multiple jewelry stores and a car dealership.

An attorney representing Kingston and his mother, told The Associated Press in an email, “We are aware of some of the allegations” being made against both of them. The statement continued, “We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Shawn and his mother.”