Rapper, singer and recently convicted fraudster Sean Kingston is now struggling to afford an attorney and may be indigent, according to a motion filed in Broward County Court this month.
Kingston, 35, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, was known for 2000s hits “Beautiful Girls” and “Fire Burning” and collaborations with A-list celebrities like Justin Bieber. But his career took a turn when his Southwest Ranches home was raided and he and his mother were charged with defrauding businesses of over $1 million. A federal jury convicted Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in March.
Their legal woes didn’t end there. A Broward County Court case remains open, and Kingston’s lawyer, Robert Rosenblatt, now wants to drop him, saying Kingston may be unable to afford legal representation altogether and require a public defender, according to a motion to withdraw filed June 6.
Kingston “has failed substantially to fulfill an obligation to the undersigned regarding the services of Robert A. Rosenblatt and withdraw is further mandated pursuant to Rule 4-1.16(b)(3),” the motion states.
Rosenblatt requested that Kingston replace him with a new attorney, if he can afford it, the motion states. But Kingston has not done so.
“Apparently, Defendant ANDERSON may be indigent and the undersigned requests this Court conduct an inquiry to determine if Defendant ANDERSON qualifies for the Public Defender’s assistance,” the motion states.
Kingston faces state charges including organized fraud, four counts of criminal use of personal identifying information, two counts of first-degree grand theft and two counts of second-degree grand theft.
Together, Kingston and Turner are accused of defrauding a jewelry business, a luxury bed company, a used luxury and exotic car dealership, and a luxury microLED TV company, arrest warrants said. They failed to pay for items either in part or in full, but would send text messages to the businesses falsely indicating they had made payments.
Kingston is currently on house arrest awaiting sentencing in his federal case. In May, his attorney filed a motion seeking permission for him to travel to Wisconsin so he could perform at the Milwaukee Summerfest, saying he “has not been able to produce income since being placed on home detention, since most of his job offers include appearing at concerts outside of our district.”
The motion was denied.
Later that same month, Rosenblatt had also filed a motion to withdraw as Kingston’s attorney in federal court, which the judge denied.
The sentencing is set for Aug. 15. Kingston could face up to 20 years in prison.
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