Sean Kingston has faced numerous challenges in his wire fraud case, including his lawyer attempting to withdraw due to an “adversarial relationship.” The saga reached a turning point after the singer was handed his prison sentence following convictions on federal wire fraud charges linked to the alleged theft of luxury goods.
According to Billboard, Sean Kingston was sentenced on Friday, August 15, in a Florida federal court, where Judge David S. Leibowitz imposed a 42-month (three-and-a-half-year) prison term. In addition, Sean Kingston was given three years of probation for his March convictions. Although the artist pushed for house arrest on the basis of his charity work and lack of prior convictions, CBS News Miami reported that the judge sided with prosecutors’ recommendations.
Restitution hearings are expected to take place in October and subsequent months, giving Sean Kingston the opportunity to appeal. His mother, Janice Turner, was also convicted on related charges and sentenced to five years in federal prison, along with three years of supervised release.
The fraud scheme allegedly involved presenting fake wire transfer receipts to vendors to avoid payments for luxury items worth more than $1 million, which reportedly included a Cadillac Escalade and a massive LED TV.
The case also highlighted friction between Kingston and his lawyer, Robert A. Rosenblatt.
“I am writing to formally request that you cease speaking to the media or any other third parties regarding my case,” Kingston wrote in a message to his attorney.
“The information being shared is incorrect and potentially damaging. I also want to remind you of the importance of maintaining attorney-client privilege… Furthermore, do not speak on my behalf to the prosecutor, judge or anyone else from this point forward.”
Rosenblatt, in response, stated,
“It is apparent from [Kingston’s] emails and texts that he does not want the undersigned to ‘talk judges or prosecutors’ on his behalf. He did not oppose the withdrawal of counsel in the state case. Further, it is clear that irreconcilable differences have terminated the attorney-client relationship to the extent that it has become adversarial.”
