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by Sharelle Burt
March 12, 2024
Scamming by no means works…..
Lamor Whitehead, the Brooklyn pastor recognized for his larger-than-life way of life, has been discovered responsible of wire fraud, tried extortion, and mendacity to the FBI.
In a federal courtroom on March 11, Whitehead was discovered responsible of 5 counts after the trial started in late February 2024. Prosecutors argued the pastor of Leaders of Tomorrow Worldwide Ministries boasted a few friendship with NYC Mayor Eric Adams and let his greed take over as he scammed the retirement financial savings of 1 church member and tried to extort a businessman.
He additionally allegedly lied to FBI brokers in denying he had a second cellular phone.
Prosecutors allege that Whitehead scammed Pauline Anderson out of $90,000 of retirement financial savings by falsely promising to search out her a house and make investments the remaining stability in his actual property enterprise. As a substitute, he spent the cash on himself, primarily on luxurious items and clothes.
Upon taking the stand on Feb. 27, Anderson described Whitehead as a trusted “mentor and non secular adviser” to her son.
“I trusted him,” Anderson testified tearfully. “He stated he had actual property expertise. He was a person of God — he prayed for me in earnest. I imagine in God, so I believed he would truthfully assist me to get this home.”
Bronx businessman Brandon Belmonte accused Whitehead of convincing him to mortgage $500,000 after mentioning that Mayor Adams was his “key to the town” and that he might help with stop-work orders on a property the 2 have been in talks of buying. Adams and the pastor fashioned a mentor-mentee relationship throughout Adams’ tenure as Brooklyn’s borough president.
Referred to as the “Bling Bishop,” Whitehead pleaded not responsible to all costs however gave a teary-eyed sermon on March 10 earlier than listening to the decision. “It is a time the place we rejoice within the Lord; this isn’t a time to be unhappy. I do know I acquired choked up a bit bit, however simply fascinated about the goodness, not fascinated about the badness, it was the goodness,” he stated.
“There are all the time going to be individuals who want in your downfall. However simply perceive that God will step up. Don’t fear about tomorrow as a result of we all know who holds tomorrow. Amen.”
Whitehead’s lawyer, Daybreak Florio, stated they’d enchantment the decision after telling the jury that proof in opposition to her consumer didn’t assist the costs.
The Canarsie, Brooklyn-based preacher’s exuberant way of life got here to mild in July 2022, after he was the sufferer of an armed theft throughout his live-streamed church service, the place the thieves acquired away with $1 million price of knickknack. Following the theft, Whitehead continued to drive round in a Rolls-Royce, and information present that he lived in a $1.6 million residence in Paramus, New Jersey.
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