Broward County SWAT teams and dozens of deputies raided Sean Kingston’s Florida home on Thursday. The rapper’s mother, Janice Turner, was taken away in handcuffs.
Turner is affectionately known as “Mama Kingston” on social media.
According to DailyMail.com, the raid was part of a legal battle over $150,000 in stolen goods.
Multiple local law enforcement agencies participated in the raid.
“Broward Sheriff’s Office, Dania Beach District detectives along with members of BSO’s Strategic Investigations Unit and Davie Police SWAT, served arrest and search warrants at a residence in Southwest Ranches,” the sheriff’s office told The Mail.
A company called Ver Ver Entertainment sued Kingston over a $150,000 entertainment system that was installed in the house but never paid for.
Ver Ver Entertainment accused Kingston of using his celebrity status to scam companies.
The company installed a giant 232-inch TV and sound system in the house, but he never paid the bill.
Dennis Card, an attorney for Ver Ver Entertainment was outside the house during the raid.
“He said that he works with Justin Bieber and that he, obviously, puts on a big show here, this is a rental house, he doesn’t own it,” Card told WSVN.
“He lures people using his celebrity into having them release things without having him pay for it and then he simply never pays,” Card added.
Half a dozen jewelers around the country have accused Kingston of stealing from them. Kingston has been ordered to pay over $1 million for jewelry he allegedly received but never paid for.
“He is stealing the property itself, he has a standardized script that he gives people, which is that he’s a recording artist… and that he wants to purchase these things, but he never pays for anything,” Card said.
Card says Kingston “gets the stuff and that’s the end of the story. He does it over and over and over.”
Authorities told TMZ that they don’t plan to search for the 34-year-old rapper in connection with the arrest warrant. But he will be arrested if he is pulled over or detained.
Police didn’t disclose why Mama Kingston was arrested or why they searched the home.
