useapen
2024-03-13 07:49:54 UTC
A flashy, jewelry-wearing Brooklyn pastor was convicted Monday in federal
court of using a parishioners retirement savings and trying to extort a
businessman while touting he had connections to the New York City mayor.
Lamor Whitehead, nicknamed the Bling Bishop, is a pastor at the Leaders
of Tomorrow International Ministries. He was found guilty of five counts,
including wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements to
the FBI. The convictions are from three separate schemes.
Whitehead, known for his Louis Vuitton suits and extravagant jewelry, also
made headlines in 2022 after he said he and his wife were robbed of $1
million worth of jewelry at 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, US Attorney for the Southern
District of New York Damian Williams said in a news release.
Whiteheads 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 said.
Prosecutors said that Whitehead defrauded one of his parishioners by
convincing her to invest $90,000 of her retirement savings with him,
according to the indictment. The document said Whitehead would help her
buy a home and invest the money, but he used it on luxury goods and
personal expenses instead.
Whitehead also extorted a businessman for $5,000 and then attempted to
convince the man to loan him $500,000 and grant him a stake in real estate
transactions in exchange for obtaining favorable connections by the New
York City government that he knew he could not provide, according to the
indictment.
Whitehead used his ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams to try to make
the deal, the district attorneys office said in a news release.
As the U.S. Attorneys 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, Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, a
spokesperson for the mayors office told CNN Tuesday.
Whitehead also made false statements by telling FBI agents he only had one
phone, when he actually had two, according to the indictment.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, except for the false
statements count, which is a maximum sentence of 5 years, according to the
district attorneys office.
Dawn Florio, one of Whiteheads attorneys, said they plan to appeal the
verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for July 1, she added.
court of using a parishioners retirement savings and trying to extort a
businessman while touting he had connections to the New York City mayor.
Lamor Whitehead, nicknamed the Bling Bishop, is a pastor at the Leaders
of Tomorrow International Ministries. He was found guilty of five counts,
including wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements to
the FBI. The convictions are from three separate schemes.
Whitehead, known for his Louis Vuitton suits and extravagant jewelry, also
made headlines in 2022 after he said he and his wife were robbed of $1
million worth of jewelry at 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, US Attorney for the Southern
District of New York Damian Williams said in a news release.
Whiteheads 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 said.
Prosecutors said that Whitehead defrauded one of his parishioners by
convincing her to invest $90,000 of her retirement savings with him,
according to the indictment. The document said Whitehead would help her
buy a home and invest the money, but he used it on luxury goods and
personal expenses instead.
Whitehead also extorted a businessman for $5,000 and then attempted to
convince the man to loan him $500,000 and grant him a stake in real estate
transactions in exchange for obtaining favorable connections by the New
York City government that he knew he could not provide, according to the
indictment.
Whitehead used his ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams to try to make
the deal, the district attorneys office said in a news release.
As the U.S. Attorneys 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, Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, a
spokesperson for the mayors office told CNN Tuesday.
Whitehead also made false statements by telling FBI agents he only had one
phone, when he actually had two, according to the indictment.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, except for the false
statements count, which is a maximum sentence of 5 years, according to the
district attorneys office.
Dawn Florio, one of Whiteheads attorneys, said they plan to appeal the
verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for July 1, she added.