The Brooklyn, New York “bling bishop” infamous for showboating his luxurious objects has been discovered responsible of scamming and exploiting a 58-year-old girl who noticed him as “a person of God.”
Following a two-week trial, Lamor Whitehead was convicted of a number of fees, together with one depend of constructing false statements to the FBI, one depend of tried extortion, one depend of tried wire fraud, and two counts of wire fraud, in line with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace Southern District of New York.
“As a unanimous jury discovered, Lamor Whitehead abused the belief positioned in him by a parishioner, tried to acquire a fraudulent mortgage utilizing pretend financial institution data, bullied a businessman for $5,000, tried to defraud him out of way over that, and lied to federal brokers,” U.S. Legal professional Damian Williams mentioned in an announcement.
Officers alleged that Whitehead satisfied a parishioner, Pauline Anderson, to offer him the $90,000 out of her retirement fund to assist her buy a brand new dwelling. He reportedly used the cash at luxurious shops like Louis Vuitton to pay his payments, in line with reviews.
After receiving no replace, Anderson requested for her a refund, however officers mentioned he saved making excuses and mendacity. This sparked a authorized battle between the 2.
“He was a person of God,” Anderson mentioned, per The New York Instances. “I believed him because the chief of his church.”
Her son, Rasheed Anderson, initially seen Whitehead as a “religious father,” the outlet reported. The 30-year-old testified in courtroom that he met Whitehead at a service in 2020. Since then, he officiated his marriage ceremony and performed a job in serving to him purchase his dwelling. Rasheed Anderson testified that Whitehead was imagined to take Pauline Anderson’s cash, purchase and renovate an funding property, after which give it again to her a short while later, the newspaper reported.
Prosecutors mentioned that Whitehead additionally tried to extort $5,000 from a person recognized by retailers as Brandon Belmonte, a businessman. He later circled again to persuade Belmonte “to lend him $500,000 and provides him a stake in sure actual property transactions.”
In trade, in line with the DA, he promised “favorable actions” from New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams, though he knew he couldn’t fulfill that obligation.
Throughout his testimony, Whitehead alleged that an FBI agent alluded to wanting to focus on Adams, however he declined to be an informant, the New York Instances reported.
The bishop was thrust into mainstream media after gunmen stole $1 million in jewellery throughout a livestreamed service at his Brooklyn church, Leaders of Tomorrow Worldwide Ministries, in 2022. He just lately provided to officiate the funeral of one of many suspects, whom U.S. marshals shot in January.
The bishop seemingly responded to the conviction in a number of Instagram posts on Tuesday. He plans to attraction the conviction.
“The story isn’t over. It’s only a new chapter…keep [tuned]. God remains to be God. They’ll all snort now and discuss,” he wrote, reiterating that the FBI wished him to show in opposition to the town’s mayor. “After this, Jesus will nonetheless get the glory. Keep Tuned for this new chapter referred to as…fact and vindication.”
