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Bishop Lamor Whitehead robbery case turns 'awkward' after guilty plea pulled
By
Samantha Max
Published Sep 26, 2023
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Photo by Prince Williams/Filmmagic via Getty Images
By
Samantha Max
Published Sep 26, 2023
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A man accused of robbing a well-known Brooklyn pastor at gunpoint during a live-streamed church service last year reneged on a plea deal just moments before appearing in federal court on Tuesday — creating what Judge William F. Kuntz II called an “awkward” situation in the pursuit of justice.
“This is real life. We are not playing here,” Kuntz told defendant Say-Quan Pollack in court. “You want to go to trial, we’ll go to trial.”
Pollack and a second man, Juwan Anderson, both 25, were indicted on robbery and gun charges last September. They face at least a decade behind bars if convicted, law enforcement officials said after their arrest. Pollack had signed a plea agreement, but withdrew it on Tuesday. Anderson, who is out on bond, has pleaded not guilty. A third person has not been located, according to prosecutors.
Both defendants are now expected to stand trial next March, if they do not reach plea deals with prosecutors before then. Pollack’s attorney declined to comment after the hearing.
A video of the robbery shows Bishop Lamor Whitehead — who is known for his expensive taste in jewelry, clothing and cars — preaching at the pulpit of Leaders of Tomorrow International Church in Canarsie. Suddenly, he utters, “Yo, alright, alright, alright,” and drops to the floor. Then, the video shows masked men dressed in all black walking onto the pulpit and approaching the pastor as he continues to lie on the floor before leaving.
Federal prosecutors said the men entered the church with guns drawn and robbed Whitehead while parishioners watched, some in person and others on the livestream.
Police said the men stole more than $1 million worth of jewelry from Whitehead and his wife — a figure he has disputed. An itemized list of stolen items that Gothamist obtained from the NYPD after the robbery listed a $390,000 chain, a $125,000 wedding ring, a $75,000 Rolex and a $20,000 emerald cross, among other expensive items.
In an interview after the hearing, Whitehead told Gothamist he was “very upset” about Pollack’s decision to backtrack on the plea. He said he’s been praying about the case.
“I want to make sure that justice prevails,” he said.
Whitehead, who was dressed in a dark suit, wingtips, bright red Gucci glasses and diamond earrings, said the robbery had traumatized him, his wife and his two daughters, who were in church that day. He said his teenage daughter still struggles to sleep through the night.
The armed robbery captured the public’s attention, partially because it was caught live on camera, but also because of the pastor’s lavish lifestyle and his close ties with Mayor Eric Adams. Whitehead has described himself as Adams’ “mentee,” and Adams has voiced his support for the bishop in the past.
The robbery was not Whitehead’s first or last time in the public spotlight. The pastor made headlines in May 2022, when he claimed to help to secure the surrender of a man accused of shooting a passenger on the Q train.
In the days after footage of the theft went viral, the pastor was criticized for making fatphobic and homophobic comments during an interview about the incident. Several months later, Whitehead found himself at the center of his own federal court case, for charges of fraud, extortion and making false statements. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have accused Whitehead of stealing money from people on false premises and then using the funds to buy himself luxury goods.
In one case, according to the indictment, Whitehead allegedly convinced a parishioner to give him $90,000 of her retirement savings, which he said he would use to help her buy a house. Instead, prosecutors claim he spent the money on fancy clothing.
The indictment also accuses Whitehead of coercing a businessman into giving him $5,000 and later asking him for an additional $500,000. Prosecutors say Whitehead promised the money would go toward a real estate deal that would win them both favor with the city government and make them “millions” — a promise they say he knew he couldn’t keep. The businessman has since been indicted in Brooklyn federal court on fraud charges and has also pleaded not guilty.
Whitehead has pleaded not guilty and was released on a $500,000 bond, according to court records. He said Tuesday that he felt like he had been turned “from a victim to a villain.” He also believes the defendants in his case feel like they have more “wiggle room” because of the criminal case against him.
The pastor said his congregation has lost a large share of parishioners since the robbery — both because people were scared and because of what has been said about him. But he maintains his innocence and believes he will be cleared of wrongdoing when the case goes to trial.
Whitehead said the legal dramas have taught him patience and maturity. The pastor said he has also learned that “a lot of people here have no heart.”
Tagged
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brooklyn
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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