24th May, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Popular Jamaican-American singer, Sean Kingston, has been arrested alongside his 62-year-old mother, Janice Turner, on “fraud and theft charges”.
The 34-year-old rapper, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother were apprehended California on Thursday, a few hours after a SWAT team raided his rented South Florida mansion.
Authorities were seen loading goods into a van outside the mansion surrounded by expensive sports cars.
The arrests may be connected to a lawsuit filed by attorney Dennis Card, alleging fraud over a 232-inch television installation worth $150,000.
Card accused Kingston of defrauding Ver Ver Entertainment in February by failing to make promised payments and commercials. They are asking for $30,000 and attorney fees in a trial by jury.
“He basically has a sales pitch that he goes through to defraud people. He induces them into giving him really expensive things,” Card, who represents the company, said.
“We know that our property is inside this house right here, so as soon as the raid takes place we are going to have a crew of people in there to reassemble it and take it back to its rightful owner.”
In a statement, the Broward county sheriff’s office said Kingston was taken into custody in Fort Irwin, California, and will be booked in jail in San Bernardino.
The sheriff’s office disclosed that it served arrest and search warrants at the property near Fort Lauderdale where the singer resides.
“As a result of the investigation, an adult female, Janice Turner, 2/16/1963, was taken into custody on numerous fraud and theft charges,” the statement reads.
“This investigation is active and ongoing.”
In an earlier Instagram post, Kingston said his lawyers were “handling everything”.
“People love negative energy!” the rapper wrote in the post which was later taken down.
“I am good, and so is my mother! … My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.”
According to records at the Florida department of corrections, Kingston is currently on two years’ probation for trafficking stolen property.
His mother previously served time for bank fraud in 2006.
The rapper will be held in California pending extradition to Florida.
Kingston is best known for his 2007 chat-topping song ‘Beautiful Girls’; another hit, ‘Take You There’; and his collaboration with Justin Bieber on the song ‘Eenie Meenie.’