Judge sets trial date in singer Sean Kingston's $1 million federal fraud case – NBC 6 South Florida

A judge has set a trial date in the federal case against singer Sean Kingston and his mother. The defendants are accused of defrauding several companies of more than a million dollars.

Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother, Janice Turner, appeared in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, where a judge set their trial date for March 24, 2025.

The judge estimated that the trial would last about a week.

Kingston, 34, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother, 61-year-old Janice Turner, face federal and state charges including grand theft and wire fraud.

Both appeared in state court on Monday, where they pleaded not guilty.

Kingston's lawyer said earlier this week he wanted one of the lawsuits to be dismissed.

“We will seek to dismiss either the federal lawsuit or the state lawsuit,” said Kingston's attorney Robert Rosenblatt.

Singer Sean Kingston and his mother face decades in prison after being indicted by a South Florida grand jury in a $1 million fraud scheme.

Kingston was arrested in California in May, the same day that Turner was arrested during a raid on the Southwest Ranches mansion where the singer lives.

According to the arrest warrants, Kingston, Turner and others defrauded several companies between October 2023 and March of this year, including a jeweler, a luxury furniture manufacturer, a luxury car dealer and a company specializing in television and entertainment systems.

Prosecutors said the perpetrators purchased the items using forged documents, including bank transfers and money orders, and then kept or attempted to keep them despite non-payment.

In one case, Kingston is said to have fraudulently purchased a bed valued at over $86,000 from a company called Maree, whose website states that it “designs and manufactures the world's largest luxury beds.”

In another case, a Cadillac Escalade valued at $159,701.49 was fraudulently obtained from an exotic car dealer, arrest warrants said.

According to the arrest warrants, $480,000 worth of jewelry was also obtained fraudulently.

The total value of the stolen items exceeds one million dollars, prosecutors said.

A new video shared by TMZ shows the moments before rapper Sean Kingston was arrested in California on Thursday.

“We believe he is innocent,” Rosenblatt said. “We look forward to trying this case in either state or federal court, or both if necessary.”

Kingston was already serving a two-year suspended sentence for receiving stolen goods.

The singer and his mother must appear before the state court again on October 11.

Kingston has had several major hits, including his 2007 debut single “Beautiful Girls.” He has previously collaborated with Justin Bieber and Soulja Boy.