Janice Turner requested leniency from a federal judge ahead of her August sentencing, hoping to avoid decades in prison.
Janice Turner pleaded with a federal judge for mercy as she awaits sentencing in a wire fraud conviction that could send her to prison for decades.
The 62-year-old mother of Sean Kingston asked the court for compassion in a formal motion filed ahead of her sentencing on August 28.
Convicted in March 2025, Turner was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. She now faces up to 20 years on each count.
Prosecutors claim she helped orchestrate an elaborate ruse using forged financial transactions and her son’s celebrity status to illegally acquire over $1 million worth of high-end merchandise, including luxury vehicles, electronics, and jewelry.
Turner is asking for no more than 30 months behind bars, citing her poor health, limited criminal background, and lack of personal profit from the fraud scheme.
Her attorneys argued that the long-term penalty she faces is excessive given the circumstances.
“A sentence of thirty (30) months or less will serve the purposes of sentencing by satisfying the need for deterrence,” the filing states, noting Turner did not benefit financially.
During the trial, the judge labeled Turner the “fixer” and “nerve center” of the operation, which involved convincing retailers to release goods without payment.
Sean Kingston did not testify in his own defense. Turner, however, admitted to making fake wire transfers.
Though both were found guilty, Turner’s consequences stretch beyond prison.
After her prison sentence, Turner is set to be deported to Jamaica, losing her U.S. residency and creating what her defense team describes as “permanent separation from her family.”
Given those stakes, Turner is requesting to be placed in a federal facility as close to Miami as possible to allow for family visits. The nearest women’s prison is located in Tallahassee, nearly 500 miles away.
Letters submitted on her behalf portray her as a kind and service-driven woman who has helped others through her community work. The defense has leaned heavily into her age and declining health, hoping it will influence the court’s final decision.
Turner will learn her fate when she returns to court on July 23, 2025.
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