Sean Kingston, who gained fame with his song “Beautiful Girls,” was seen leaving a federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning in a hurry.
The singer, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was already on probation for dealing in stolen goods when he and his mother, Janice Turner, were indicted by a Miami federal grand jury for their involvement in an alleged wire fraud operation worth around $1 million. Turner also was seen trying to get away after exiting the courthouse following the federal arraignment.
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Federal prosecutors stated that the two were indicted because they “unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers as payment for vehicles, jewelry, and other goods.”
They had previously faced allegations of fraud. In 2006, Turner admitted guilt to bank fraud and served approximately 18 months in prison. The current case involves Bank of America and First Republic Bank, with the arrest warrants indicating that a dealer of Cadillac Escalades was among the victims of the alleged fraud.
Records reveal that the singer was taken into custody on May 23 while traveling to perform at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California. On the same day, Turner was arrested during a police raid at her residence in Southwest Ranches.
Their federal arraignment took place at 11 a.m. on Friday at 299 E. Broward Boulevard, where they both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud itself. They requested a jury trial, and their defense team initiated the discovery process. Attorney Robert “Bob” Rosenblatt is representing both the artist and his mother.
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The mother-son pair is also dealing with an ongoing state case in Broward County related to the same fraudulent activities. They are facing allegations of running an organized scheme to defraud, along with charges of grand theft and identity theft. Investigations into these cases were conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and the Broward Sheriff’s Office.