Rapper Sean Kingston Arrested in California on Fraud Charges After SWAT Raid on Florida Home
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Rapper Sean Kingston was arrested in California on fraud charges Thursday, following a SWAT team raid on his rented South Florida mansion. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Kingston was detained without incident on a Florida warrant near Fort Irwin, an Army base about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Earlier that day, Broward detectives arrested Kingston’s 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, during the raid on his 14,000-square-foot home in Southwest Ranches, a prestigious Fort Lauderdale suburb known for its celebrity residents, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill.
While Broward County prosecutors referred all inquiries to the sheriff’s office, specific details about the charges remain undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation. During the raid, authorities were seen loading goods into a van from Kingston’s mansion, which was surrounded by luxury sports cars.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Kingston responded to the situation saying, “People love negative energy! I am good, and so is my mother! … My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.”
Robert Rosenblatt, the attorney representing Kingston and his mother, acknowledged the allegations and expressed confidence in a successful resolution in court.
Kingston is currently on probation for trafficking stolen property, according to Florida Department of Corrections records. He is being held in California pending extradition to Florida. Federal court records indicate that his mother pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2006 and served nearly 1.5 years in prison. She is now being held at the Broward jail on a $160,000 bond.
Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, is best known for his 2007 No. 1 single “Beautiful Girls” and collaborations with Justin Bieber on “Eenie Meenie.” He has not had a major label release in over a decade.
Attorney Dennis Card, who witnessed Turner’s arrest, linked the detentions to a lawsuit he filed against Kingston in February. The lawsuit accuses Kingston of defrauding a Florida company that installed a 232-inch television in his home. The TV, costing $150,000, was installed after Kingston paid $30,000 with promises of commercials featuring Bieber, which never materialized.
Card emphasized that Bieber is not involved in the fraud allegations, despite Kingston frequently using his name. Bieber recently severed ties with his longtime manager and has no current association with Kingston.
