Tearful Sean Kingston begs officials to protect mother

Sean Kingston was seen crying as he watched his mother, 62-year-old Janice Turner, being led away by US Marshals following a guilty verdict in their fraud case, according to a report.

The Beautiful Girls hitmaker and his mother were convicted on Friday of fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud after a Florida federal court jury deliberated for just over three hours.

Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and Turner had denied charges of falsely claiming they had made bank transfers for luxury goods totalling more than US$1 million (approximately J$156.4 million). However, the jury found them guilty on all five charges, including allegations of swindling victims out of items such as a bulletproof Cadillac, expensive watches, and other high-end goods.

South Florida news outlet, WPLG, reported that the artiste was seen crying with his hands clasped as the jury read its verdict inside the Fort Lauderdale federal court. He also begged officials to "protect my mother" as she was remanded into federal custody.

The judge explained that Turner, who has a history of convictions, was considered a flight risk due to her pivotal role in orchestrating the fraud scheme. He said that Turner had shown she was the "fixer, the nerve centre" and in control of the fraud scheme but her son's defence depicted him as "a child" with no knowledge of finances.

Kingston, meanwhile, chose not to testify, with his defence team portraying him as a naive individual with little knowledge of the scheme's financial details.

The United States Attorney's Office described the case as a scheme where the pair used fraudulent documents to secure luxury vehicles and goods without ever paying for them. The stolen items, which were seized in a raid of Kingston's home, amounted to over US$1 million in value.

Kingston, currently placed under home detention, faces a surety bond of US$200,000 (approximately J$31.3 million) in cash and must put up a US$500,000 (approximately J$78.2 million) relative's home. Sentencing is scheduled for July. His mother, who previously served time for a similar conviction, will remain in custody until then.