American singer and rapper Sean Kingston was taken into federal custody after his legal team failed to produce the $100,000 in cash required to uphold the conditions of his bond agreement.
According to reports, Kingston was ordered into custody on April 10 after a judge determined that his legal team had not delivered a crucial element of his bond: $100,000 in cash. The shortfall undermined his effort to remain under house arrest as he awaits sentencing.
The 34-year-old artist appeared before U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz for a brief, 20-minute hearing, during which his defense admitted their inability to meet the financial terms necessary to keep him out of jail.
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Although there were attempts to raise the funds through family support, the cash portion of the bond remained unmet.
Kingston had been convicted of federal wire fraud on March 28 and had initially been allowed to stay at home under electronic surveillance.
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That arrangement was structured around a multi-tiered bond agreement: a $200,000 cash bond, a $500,000 personal surety bond backed by real estate, and several additional compliance conditions.
While his affidavit was accepted without objection from prosecutors, the missing $100,000 ultimately nullified the agreement.
As a result, Judge Leibowitz ordered Kingston into the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
A few days later, Kingston’s legal team told Billboard in a statement that the outstanding bond had been posted and he was awaiting release.
“Sean’s bond was posted and being processed. He has not yet been released as of 4pm today,” the statement read.
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The $100,000 was reportedly posted on Tuesday, April 15. According to legal documents, Kingston could now spend the remaining months before his July 11 sentencing under house arrest, subject to strict monitoring and travel restrictions. However, at the time of the update, he remained in custody in Miami, pending processing.
Born Kisean Paul Anderson, the “Beautiful Girls” singer and his mother, Janice Turner, were found guilty on all five charges following a five-day trial centered on more than $1 million in wire fraud. Turner is to remain in custody until her sentencing.
Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Both Kingston and his mother were reportedly emotional in court, seen wiping away tears as the verdict was delivered on March 28.
The pair were convicted of orchestrating a long-running scheme that defrauded a jewelry business, a high-end car dealership, a luxury mattress retailer, and a TV installation service. The fraudulent operation spanned several years before being uncovered in 2024. They were arrested in May last year.
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