Rapper Sean Kingston arrested on fraud charges during concert
What's the story
Jamaican-American rapper Sean Kingston was arrested "without incident" at Fort Irwin, a US Army base, during his concert on Thursday, reported the New York Post. The arrest was in response to a Florida warrant for fraud and theft charges. He was booked into jail in San Bernardino on Thursday evening, coinciding with his scheduled set. The 34-year-old is known for songs like Beautiful Girls, Take You There, and Fire Burning.
Concurrent events
Simultaneous arrest of Kingston's mother and property raid
As Kingston was being arrested in California, his Florida mansion was simultaneously raided by SWAT, leading to the arrest of his mother, Janice Turner. The 61-year-old was taken into custody at the rapper's luxurious Southwest Ranches property which he rents. Turner faces similar charges to her son. The Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed these events without any reported incidents.
Fraud charges
Allegations of fraud against Kingston and his mother
The arrests are linked to allegations that Kingston defrauded a tech company, Ver Ver Entertainment LLC, out of thousands of dollars over a television and speaker system deal. The company filed a lawsuit against Kingston in February for breach of contract and fraud. They allege that the rapper promised to make promotional videos with Justin Bieber after purchasing a 232-inch Colossal TV and sound system via Instagram, which would have cost at least $1,11,000.
Contract breach
Kingston's alleged breach of contract
The lawsuit alleges that Kingston had no ongoing work with Bieber at the time of purchase and had no intention of making the promotional content. The contract, agreed upon in October, outlined that Kingston would wire a $30,000 down payment before making a second payment for $47,827.16 and social media posts worth over $38,000. Despite having the system installed, Kingston allegedly failed to hold his end of the bargain by not making the second payment or producing promotional videos.
Legal response
'I am good and so is my mother!'
Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney representing both Kingston and his mother, stated, "We are aware of some of the allegations." He added, "We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Shawn and his mother." Kingston, too, responded via Instagram Stories and wrote, "People love negative energy! I am good and so is my mother! My lawyers are handling everything as we speak."