Singer Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, have been indicted on federal charges in Miami, accused of defrauding businesses out of more than $1 million. The indictment follows their arrest two months ago on fraud charges in Broward County, FL.
TMZ reports that a Grand Jury has indicted Kingston and Turner on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud each. Federal prosecutors allege that the duo orchestrated a scheme to defraud multiple businesses, acquiring jewelry, luxury vehicles, and other high-end goods through false payment claims.
The charges state that Sean and Janice enriched themselves by falsely claiming they had sent money transfers for the goods, only to keep the items when it was discovered that the payments had not gone through. The fraudulent activities reportedly include acquiring a $160,000 Cadillac Escalade and $480,000 worth of jewelry without making any actual payments.
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In May, the pair were arrested following a raid on Sean Kingston’s Florida mansion. They made their first appearance in federal court on Friday. If convicted, Kingston and Turner could face up to 20 years in prison for each of the six counts they are charged with.
Sean Kingston’s attorney, Robert Rosenblatt, remains optimistic about the case, stating, “We look forward to litigating the case in federal court and are confident we will win.”
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