A SWAT team was in the process of raiding the Southwest Ranches home of rapper and singer Sean Kingston on Thursday afternoon, authorities say.
The raid at the sprawling white mansion in the 4600 block of Southwest 178th Avenue came out of an investigation that first began in Dania Beach, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office. A woman named Janice Turner, 61, was arrested on “numerous fraud and theft charges,” spokesperson Carey Codd said in a media release. Turner is Kingston’s mother, according to reports.
The release did not say if Kingston is facing charges as well, but an attorney currently suing Kingston said that the raid was related to his lawsuit.
Dennis Card, an attorney for Ver Ver Entertainment, the company currently suing Kingston over breach of contract and fraud, said he was standing outside of the home along with over 30 SWAT team members Thursday afternoon. He saw Kingston’s mother in handcuffs.
“I’ve been waiting on this raid for a couple of months now,” Card told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Ver Ver Entertainment installed a 232-inch home theater and audio system in Kingston’s home last December, Card said. After making a down payment of $30,000, Kingston never paid the company for the full balance, the lawsuit claims. The system is worth about $150,000.
Card said that after he filed his lawsuit he spoke with a detective who had also been investigating Kingston and that other victims are involved.
He said Kingston convinced his client to sell to him by telling the company that he’s working with Justin Bieber and would include their products on social media to help drive business to them.
Kingston toured with Bieber in 2010 and collaborated him on the hit song “Eenie Meenie.” He is best known for his popular songs “Beautiful Girls” and “Fire Burning.”
Kingston also has a history of “fraudulent conduct,” according to Ver Ver Entertainment’s complaint. In 2015, a judgment was entered against him for obtaining over $300,000 worth of watches without paying for them. A similar judgment was entered a year later pertaining to his failure to pay for over $300,000 in jewelry. And in 2022, he was sued for allegedly failing to pay for two watches worth over $1 million together.
Card’s client and three workers were on their way to the home to disassemble the home theater system and take it back Thursday, he said.
“They’re super happy they’re getting their stuff back,” Card said. “They were working their butts off trying to make it … it’s just a huge financial hit for them.”
By about 2 p.m., some people had entered the mansion and the surroundings had quieted. Two U-Haul trucks were parked in the driveway, presumably to carry items confiscated from within, Card said, as well as a Broward Sheriff’s RV with its lights flashing. A deputy with a camera appeared to search a garage.
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