Using a parishioner’s retirement funds and attempting to blackmail a businessman while claiming to have ties to the mayor of New York City, a flamboyant, jewelry-wearing Brooklyn pastor was found guilty in federal court.
Pastor Lamor Whitehead of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries is also known by his moniker, the “Bling Bishop.” He was found guilty on five charges, including attempting extortion, wire fraud, and lying to the FBI. Three such strategies resulted in convictions.
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Known for his ostentatious gold and Louis Vuitton outfits, Whitehead also made news in 2022 when he claimed that he and his wife had their $1 million worth of jewelry stolen from their church.
“As a unanimous jury found, Lamor Whitehead abused the trust placed in him by a parishioner, tried to obtain a fraudulent loan using fake bank records, bullied a businessman for $5,000, tried to defraud him out of far more than that, and lied to federal agents,” Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated in a press statement.
“Whitehead’s reprehensible lies and criminal conduct have caught up with him, as he now stands convicted of five federal crimes and faces time in prison,” Williams stated.
The indictment filed by the prosecution claimed that Whitehead had conned a parishioner into parting with $90,000 of her retirement funds to him. Although the agreement said that Whitehead would assist her in purchasing a house and investing the money, he instead spent it on luxuries and personal costs.
A businessman was also extorted by Whitehead for $5,000, and in return, he tried to persuade him to give him a $500,000 loan and involve him in real estate deals “favorable connections by the New York City government” that he knew he could not provide, according to the indictment.
The US attorney’s office stated in a statement that Whitehead attempted to close the sale by using his connections to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
“As the U.S. Attorney’s office said when they brought this case, the defendant ‘knew he could not obtain’ favors from city government. With this ruling, that was proven right,” CNN was informed by Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, a mayor’s office spokeswoman.
According to the indictment, Whitehead allegedly made false claims by pretending to have just one phone when in fact he had two, which he told FBI agents.
The US attorney’s office states that the maximum punishment for each count is 20 years, except the false statements count, which carries a maximum term of 5 years.
One of Whitehead’s attorneys, Dawn Florio, stated that they intend to appeal the decision. She also mentioned that his sentence is set for July 1, 2024.
