Sean Kingston’s mother, Janice Turner, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison and three years of probation for her role in a wire fraud scheme involving over $1 million.
Her son was convicted alongside her and is set to be sentenced on Aug. 28.
Turner and Kingston were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
“I’m sorry. My intention was to keep my son afloat in this difficult industry,” Turner told the judge. “They used him and abused him. I am begging for mercy for me and my son.”
Federal prosecutors stated that the pair falsely claimed to have made wire payments for luxury items, including high-end cars, jewelry, and a custom-made bed, but the transactions were never completed.
They kept more than $1 million worth of goods without paying.
They were arrested on May 23, 2024. Kingston was taken into custody at Fort Irwin, a U.S. Army base in California, and Turner was arrested during a police raid at a South Florida mansion Kingston was renting. Losses included nearly $500,000 in jewelry, $200,000 from Bank of America, and $160,000 from a luxury SUV dealer, among other amounts.
Turner, who previously served prison time for a 2006 bank fraud conviction, will be required to pay restitution but most of her victims have already been reimbursed.
Kingston is currently on probation for a theft case involving stolen property.