Testimony is underway in the federal fraud trial of rapper Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, who are accused of committing more than $1 million in fraud.
On Wednesday, March 26, a Fort Lauderdale-based jeweler took the stand on the third day of the trial, alleging that Kingston and Turner falsified a wire transfer for a luxury watch and made false promises to help him grow his client base, according to South Florida news station NBC 6.
Jeweler Moshe Edery said he trusted Kingston because of the singer’s celebrity status.
Related: Sean Kingston Covers Head With Towel as He’s Released From Jail
Edery testified that he lost his job and credibility, saying he was blacklisted after never receiving payment for an Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar watch he provided to Kingston.
“I’m going to have you at all my video shoots and red carpets,” Kingston is heard saying in a voice memo played in court, NBC reported.
In another message, Kingston told Edery, “I’m with you for life.”
Edery said that days later, Turner sent him a screenshot of a purported wire transfer receipt confirming payment for the $285,000 watch. However, when Edery took the document to the bank, he was told it appeared to be inauthentic.
“I’m being scammed,” Edery recalled thinking in court.
Kingston, 35, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and Turner, 61, face charges from a grand jury for five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The mother and son were arrested on May 23, 2024, following a raid on Kingston’s 14,000-square-foot mansion in Southwest Ranches.
Local authorities have linked them to a history of allegedly bouncing checks and scamming businesses and banks for furniture, electronics, jewelry, and a Cadillac Escalade.
As previously reported, Kingston was already on two years’ probation after a conviction for trafficking stolen property.
The Jamaican-American performer is best known to fans for his 2007 No. 1 single “Beautiful Girls.” His other hit songs include the 2010 singles “Eenie Meenie,” featuring Justin Bieber, and “Letting Go (Dutty Love),” featuring Nicki Minaj.
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