What did Bishop Lamor Whitehead do? Charges and possible sentence explored amid guilty verdict

On Monday, March 11, 2024, Brooklyn-based bishop Lamor Whitehead was convicted of several felony charges, including fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to the FBI, as reported by the New York Post.

The guilty charge was given by the jury of the Manhattan Federal Court. The 45-year-old Lamor Whitehead is now scheduled to be sentenced on July 1 and is expected to face decades in prison.

He was arrested in December 2022 for the charges he is now facing, including scamming a senior member of his church, Pauline Anderson, and extorting thousands of dollars from a Bronx-based auto body shop owner, Brandon Belmonte.

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Exploring in detail the charges against bishop Lamor Whitehead

On Monday, Lamor Whitehead, the pastor, who is known for wearing flashy “designer suits, ostentatious jewelry, and bold eyewear” as per the New York Post, was convicted of five counts of wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to the FBI about the number of phones he owned.

A few years ago, Whitehead conned an elderly parishioner, Pauline Anderson, of her retirement savings worth $90,000. As per federal prosecutors who opened the trial in February 2024, Bishop Whitehead convinced the former nurse to invest her money in a house that he promised he would buy on her behalf.

But instead, the church leader spent the money on his lavish expenses, including shopping at Louis Vuitton, Footlocker, and car purchases for his BMW and Rolls-Royce.

Not only that, but Lamor Whitehead used his alleged connection to New York City Mayor Eric Adams to deceive Bronx business owner Brandon Belmonte and falsely promised to gain “official favors” from the politician on his behalf. He tried to extort $500,000 from the auto body shop owner and claimed that the mayor was like his “mentor” and would “do whatever I wanted" and gave him "the key to the city."

According to the Daily Mail, Lamor Whitehead wished to succeed Adams as the Brooklyn borough president in 2021. However, it was a failure, and the mayor refused to endorse his campaign, dubbing it “misleading.”

The Daily News further reported that Lamor Whitehead’s other fraud charge was related to “phony bank statements,” which he used to obtain a loan of $250,000, claiming he had millions in a business account when he was penniless.

The head of the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, Lamor Whitehead, first made headlines in July 2022 when he and his wife were robbed at gunpoint during a live-streamed sermon session. Three masked thieves reportedly ran away with his $75,000 Rolex watch, $75,000 Cavalier watch, and $25,000 ruby and diamond rings, among other expensive items.

It was then that his fraud charges came to light. Later, during an investigation, the pastor provided false statements to bureau agents when he was asked how many phones he owned. His properties were also searched with warrants.

In December 2022, Bling Bishop (as he was often called by his parishioners) was taken into custody for all the charges he is now being convicted of. Back then, he posted a bail of $500,000.

Last month, when federal prosecutors opened his trial, they described him as a “conman who told lie after lie to victim after victim,” especially those in his community. They also claimed that he cheated, threatened, and stole “to keep up” with his wealthy lifestyle.

The owner of a $1.6 million home in Paramus, New Jersey, and several other real estates in Hartford, Connecticut, he is currently facing a possible prison sentence of up to 45 years and will appear before Judge Lorna G. Schofield in July, as per Daily Mail. Lamor Whitehead's attorney Dawn Florio is planning to appeal against the conviction to which his client has pleaded not guilty.