FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — On Thursday, a SWAT team raided rapper Sean Kingston’s rental mansion in South Florida, leading to the arrest of his mother on fraud and theft charges. These charges reportedly partially relate to the installation of a massive TV at the residence, according to an attorney.
The sheriff’s office has stated that the investigation is ongoing and has not released specific details about Turner’s charges or whether her 34-year-old son is also being investigated. Local media reported that Kingston is currently out of town and was not present during the raid. Broward County prosecutors have deferred all inquiries to the sheriff’s office.
It remains unclear if Turner has legal representation to comment on her behalf. Federal court records reveal that she previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2006 for stealing over $160,000, for which she served 16 months in prison.
Florida Department of Corrections records indicate that Kingston is currently serving a two-year probation for trafficking stolen property. Reporters at the scene observed authorities loading goods into a van. The mansion, surrounded by luxury sports cars, became the focal point of the raid.
The Jamaican-American rapper gained fame with his 2007 No. 1 hit single “Beautiful Girls,” along with his collaborations on “Eenie Meenie” with Justin Bieber and “Take You There.” In 2011, Kingston nearly lost his life in a jet ski accident. Known legally as Kisean Anderson, Kingston has not released an album under a major label in over a decade.
An attorney, who witnessed the arrest, mentioned that it partly stems from a lawsuit he filed against Kingston in February. The lawsuit accuses Kingston of defrauding a Florida company that installed a 232-inch (5.8 meters) television – roughly 17 feet wide and 9.5 feet tall (5 meters by 3 meters).
“It is amazing what you can get away with if you are a celebrity,” attorney Dennis Card told The Associated Press. “He creates this larger-than-life, ‘I am rich’ persona. His mother plays a crucial role in this. He portrays himself as a family-oriented guy, ‘I’m taking care of my mom,’ but she is well aware of the situation.”
Kingston allegedly convinced the owners to accept a lower down payment and extend him credit, promising to do commercials with Bieber for them in return.
In November, Kingston paid the company $30,000, leading to the TV’s installation. However, according to the lawsuit, no commercials or further payments were made, despite numerous assurances by Kingston.
The two most recent known publicists for Kingston did not respond to emails requesting comment.
The lawsuit claims that Kingston no longer has an active working relationship with Bieber, who recently dropped his longtime manager. Current contact information for Bieber is not available.
“He is 100% not involved in this,” Card said about Bieber. “He had the misfortune of collaborating with Sean in the past, and now Sean frequently uses his name.”
