By: Ellen Cans
On Monday, “Bling” Bishop Lamor Whitehead, the flashy Brooklyn pastor, was arrested by federal agents, on charges saying he allegedly scammed a member of his congregation.
As reported by the NY Post, Whitehead, who famously drives a Rolls-Royce and has been known to wear Gucci suits and expensive jewelry, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud, one count of extortion, and one count of making false statements to the FBI, federal prosecutors said. If found guilty, he can face a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison.
The 44-year-old pastor, who preaches a “prosperity gospel”, is accused of swindling one of the congregants out of her $90,000 retirement savings. He allegedly promised to take the cash to buy her a home, but instead he used the money on clothing and luxury goods, the indictment alleges. In a separate alleged scheme, the pastor reportedly extorted a businessman for $5,000 and asked the man to loan him $500,000, promising that in return he could “obtain favorable actions by the New York City government”, the indictment alleges. On Monday, Whitehead pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Manhattan federal court and was released on a $500,000 bond. As part of the bond agreement, the preacher, who lives in New Jersey, will also have his travel restricted to the tri-state area.
“His campaign of fraud and deceit stops now,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement following Whitehead’s arrest. “If you are willing to attempt to obtain funds through false promises or threats, the FBI will ensure that you are made to face the consequences for your actions in our criminal justice system,” FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll added.
Whitehead’s attorney, Dawn Florio, said her client denies all the charges. “We are vigorously going to defend these accusations. We feel that he is being targeted and he is being turned from a victim into a villain,” Florio said. “This all stems out of a civil lawsuit that is being handled in civil court. He will be vindicated,” she added. The lawyer was seemingly referring to a Brooklyn Supreme Court suit brought in 2021 by parishioner Pauline Anderson, 56, who accused Whitehead of swindling her out of her life savings. Anderson says Whitehead convinced her to liquidate her life savings and pay him a $90,000 “investment” in November 2020 with the promise that he would buy and renovate a home for her. Instead, he used the money to place a down payment on a $4.4 million home for himself in Saddle River, NJ, the suit alleges.
Over the summer, Whitehead got his name in the newspapers when he was robbed at gunpoint during services. As per the Post, in July, three suspects entered his church, at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, robbing him of jewelry estimated to be worth up to $1 million. The two suspects, Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack, both 23, were charged in Brooklyn federal court. Their trials are scheduled to start in early 2023.
Whitehead was previously convicted of identity theft charges brought by state prosecutors in 2006, for using people’s personal information to purchase cars and motorcycles, the Post reported. He was sentenced to up to 30 years in jail, but he was released in 2013 for good behavior. Whitehead, who in 2021 had launched a failed bid for Brooklyn borough president, currently faces several civil suits.
