Rapper Sean Kingston was arrested in California on Thursday for fraud. Earlier that day, a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in South Florida and took a van full of items.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Kingston was arrested near Fort Irwin, an Army base about 150 miles from Los Angeles. During the raid, detectives also arrested his 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, at his 14,000-square-foot home in a wealthy Fort Lauderdale suburb.
The Sheriff’s Office didn’t provide details about the charges because the investigation is ongoing. Reporters saw authorities loading items into a van from Kingston’s home, which had many expensive sports cars outside.
Kingston posted on Instagram saying he and his mother were fine and that his lawyers were handling the situation, but the post was later deleted. Their lawyer, Robert Rosenblatt, said they are aware of the allegations and are confident they will resolve them in court.
Kingston is on probation for two years for trafficking stolen property. He will stay in California until he is sent back to Florida. His mother was previously in prison for bank fraud in 2006 and is now held on a $160,000 bond.
Sean Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, is best known for his 2007 hit “Beautiful Girls.” He hasn’t released major music in over a decade.
An attorney, Dennis Card, who witnessed his mother’s arrest, said the detentions are related to a lawsuit against Kingston. The lawsuit accuses Kingston of defrauding a company that installed a $150,000 TV in his home. The lawsuit says Kingston paid $30,000 upfront, promised to do commercials with Justin Bieber, but didn’t make further payments or commercials. Kingston no longer works with Bieber.
Card said Kingston uses his celebrity status to appear rich and claims to take care of his mother, who is aware of his actions. He added that Bieber is not involved in this situation.