Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother were arrested for fraud and theft after a SWAT team raided their home in South Florida, according to authorities.
The raid took place in Southwest Ranches, about 15 miles from Fort Lauderdale, on Thursday, CNN reported. Kingston's mother, Janice Turner, was taken into custody during the raid, while Kingston was arrested later that night in Fort Irwin, California.
According to the sheriff's office, both face "numerous fraud and theft charges." No further details were provided, CNN reported.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Kingston posted, "People love negative energy! I am good and so is my mother! My lawyers are handling everything as we speak."
People magazine reported that the raid was triggered by a lawsuit filed February by Ver Ver Entertainment, which claimed that Kingston has not paid for purchased items from the company.
The complaint states that Kingston presented "numerous false representations" to the company, adding that he had a "current and ongoing working relationship" with singer Justin Bieber. The pair collaborated on the song "Eenie Meanie" in 2010 and "Won't Stop" in 2011.
The lawsuit obtained by People claims Kingston promised promotional videos with Bieber to offset payments for items purchased, but no such working relationship existed.
Kingston breached his contract by not paying as agreed in January, despite efforts to collect payment, the outlet noted. Ver Ver Entertainment stated that Kingston has a history of fraud, according to People.
Ver Ver Entertainment alleged several court judgments against Kingston, including in 2015 for $356,000 in unpaid watches, and in 2016 and 2022 for $301,500 in jewelry and luxury watches totaling over $1 million.
"I filed a lawsuit against Sean Kingston," attorney Dennis Card told the outlet. "A detective in Broward County read my lawsuit and contacted me, and so we went down and gave, with my client, a recorded statement and an affidavit."
Card added that they've been "waiting on this raid for more than two months now."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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