Sean Kingston and his mother plead not guilty to fraud

Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, have entered a plea of not guilty concerning the allegations of fraud.

The artist known for “Beautiful Girls” and his mother asserted their not guilty plea during an arraignment session presided over by Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Monday.

During the proceedings, the legal representatives Sean Kingston and his 61-year-old mother requested a trial by jury, and the presiding judge did not modify the previously established bond amount of $900,000 (£680,000).

Attorney Robert Rosenblatt asserted the innocence of his clients, stating to People, “Once the true facts are revealed, we are confident in their eventual vindication.”

A grand jury in Miami has previously indicted the mother-son pair with a singular count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud for their purported “participation in a scheme designed to defraud victim sellers of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry, and other commodities acquired by the defendants through the utilization of fraudulent documentation,” as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida.

Sean Kingston and his mother stand accused of defrauding numerous enterprises, including those in the jewelry, bedding, automotive, and television sectors, totaling over $1 million ($755,000) since October 2023 by “falsely” asserting that they had transferred funds to cover the costs of the merchandise.

The artist known for “Fire Burning,” whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was apprehended in California in May following a search of his residence in Florida. Turner was taken into custody in Florida earlier on the same day.

Their subsequent court appearance is scheduled for 11 October, as reported by the Sun Sentinel newspaper.