Jamaican-American singer, Sean Kingston and his mother 61-year-old Janice Turner appeared in federal court yesterday, as their trial on multiple counts of grand theft and wire fraud charges got underway.

The 34-year-old artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, is alleged to have been involved in a US$1 million fraud scheme. Both Kingston and Turner were present in court, as jury selection commenced. 

The jury selection process, which will narrow down 45 potential jurors to 12 jurors and one alternate, remains ongoing. The trial is expected to continue in the coming weeks as both sides present their arguments before the court. 

Yesterday, Turner requested a change of legal representation, citing conflicts with her previous attorney. Kingston was arrested in California in May 2024, the same day authorities raided his Southwest Ranches mansion in South Florida, leading to Turner’s arrest. 

Police raids carried out

The raids were conducted following a lawsuit filed against Kingston for allegedly not paying for luxury items. Meanwhile, Turner has faced legal issues in the past over false loan applications and bank fraud. If convicted, both face up to 20 years in prison for each of the six counts against them.

Federal prosecutors allege that Kingston and Turner orchestrated a scheme to defraud sellers of high-end luxury items, including speciality vehicles and jewellery, by using fraudulent documents and false wire transfers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida stated that the duo “unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers.”

Prosecutors say the scheme resulted in over US$1 million in unpaid property. The case follows a lawsuit accusing Kingston of failing to pay for luxury items. 

His mother has also previously faced legal issues related to false loan applications and bank fraud. Sean Kingston, best known for his 2007 chart-topping hit “Beautiful Girls” and collaborations with Justin Bieber, has been accused of leveraging his celebrity status to deceive vendors. 

An attorney representing one of the plaintiffs claimed Kingston “uses a script,” falsely portraying himself as a close associate of Bieber to persuade sellers to release goods without payment.