Singer Sean Kingston has been arrested in California, hours after a police raid of his Florida mansion, during which his mother was also arrested. The raid was executed by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, which served arrest and search warrants at the property near Fort Lauderdale.
According to court documents, Mr. Kingston was accused in February by a company, Ver Ver Entertainment, of not fully paying for a huge TV and sound system. The company claims Mr. Kingston contacted them over social media in September 2023 to purchase a “232-inch Colossal TV, coupled with a robust sound system”.
The company alleges that Mr. Kingston made “numerous false representations” to induce them to install the products with “as small a down payment as possible”. This included a suggestion that he would create promotional videos for the company with Justin Bieber.
Following the installation, the company claims Mr. Kingston failed to make the remaining payments, and they sued him for breach of contract and fraud. A lawyer representing Ver Ver Entertainment told Miami’s Local 10 news that the company was hoping to retrieve the TV and sound system from the house following the police raid.
US media report that Mr. Kingston was taken into custody in Fort Irwin, southern California, on fraud and theft charges based on a Florida warrant, according to police in the latter state. His mother, Janice Turner, was also arrested on numerous fraud and theft charges.
Confirming the raid to the BBC, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said, “As a result of the investigation, an adult female, Janice Turner, 2/16/1963, was taken into custody on numerous fraud and theft charges.” The office added, “This investigation is active and ongoing.”
Officers were reportedly seen taking goods away from the house afterwards. It was not immediately clear whether the arrests were linked to the company’s allegations. Mr. Kingston’s own arrest hours later in southern California was without incident, police were quoted as saying by US media.
Before his own arrest, Mr. Kingston appeared to address the developments on his Instagram account. “I am good and so is my mother,” the singer said in response to reports that the arrested woman was his mother. “My lawyers are handling everything as we speak,” he added.
A lawyer representing the pair acknowledged that allegations had been made against them, telling the AP news agency, “We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution.” Mr. Kingston, 34, is known for hits such as Beautiful Girls, Fire Burning, and Eenie Meenie featuring Justin Bieber.
The BBC has approached the Broward County Sheriff’s Office for further comment. Mr. Kingston and his mother, known on Instagram as Mama Kingston, have also been asked for a response. The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear what further developments may arise.
