Sean Kingston and his mother arrested for fraud and theft after SWAT raid on rapper's home

CNN
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Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother were arrested on fraud and theft charges after a SWAT team raided the star's South Florida residence Thursday morning, authorities said.

Arrest and search warrants were executed at a home in Southwest Ranches, a town about 15 miles from Fort Lauderdale, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office. The singer's mother, Janice Turner, was taken into custody following the raid, and Kingston was arrested Thursday evening in Fort Irwin, California, the sheriff's office said.

Both face “numerous fraud and theft charges,” the sheriff’s office said.

Arrest warrants issued for Kingston and Turner on May 20 detail an alleged scheme that began in October 2023 to defraud several businesses, including a jeweler and an automobile dealership, of a variety of property valued at $100,000 or more. The mother and son were charged with theft of property worth approximately $86,000, theft from a car dealership of a luxury car worth approximately $159,000 and theft of jewelry worth $480,000, documents show.

They are additionally charged with multiple counts of identity fraud and writing bad checks, and Kingston was charged with violating his probation in connection with dealing in stolen goods, according to the documents.

Kingston posted on Instagram Thursday evening: “People love negative energy! I'm fine and so is my mother! My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.

CNN requested comment from Kingtston's publicist but was unable to identify an attorney for the singer.

The house that was raided Thursday is listed as Kingston's residence in a breach of contract lawsuit filed against the singer by Ver Ver Entertainment, a company that sells and installs high-end television and sound systems. range, according to court documents. filed in February.

It's unclear whether the lawsuit is related to the Broward County Sheriff's Office investigation, which the office said began in nearby Dania Beach.

Ver Ver Entertainment alleges that Kingston contacted the company in September 2023 about purchasing a 232-inch television and sound system, according to the suit. The lawsuit alleges that Kingston promised to film promotional videos for the company with singer Justin Bieber in exchange for a lower down payment on the entertainment system.

Kingston made a $30,000 deposit and the entertainment system was installed, according to the suit. But Kingston did not make the remaining payments on television or promote the business alongside Bieber, according to the suit.

Kingston and Bieber collaborated in 2010 on the hit song “Eenie Meenie” and the rapper told Ver Ver last year that he still had a “current and continuing working relationship” with Bieber, according to the suit.

The lawsuit says Kingston did not have an ongoing working relationship with Bieber and that the singer had “no intention” of creating promotional content with the pop star for Ver Ver.

Ver Ver repeatedly attempted to obtain the remaining payments from Kingston, but was unsuccessful, the lawsuit states. The entertainment system and its installation were valued at more than $110,000 in an invoice included in the lawsuit.

Dennis Card, an attorney representing Ver Ver, alleged that Kingston and his mother worked together to obtain expensive items.

“He makes people believe that he is a rich, high-ranking man,” Card told CNN.

Kingston's career exploded in 2007 with the platinum hit “Beautiful Girls” and his collaboration with Bieber on “Eenie Meenie” propelled him even further into pop stardom. After releasing a string of singles and his album “Back 2 Life” in the 2010s, Kingston largely stayed out of the spotlight until the release of his fourth album, “Road to Deliverance” in 2022.