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Brooklyn's ‘Bling Bishop’ sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for fraud
By
Samantha Max
Published Jun 17, 2024
Modified Jun 17, 2024
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(Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
By
Samantha Max
Published Jun 17, 2024
Modified Jun 17, 2024
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A Brooklyn pastor known for his flashy fashion sense and ties to Mayor Eric Adams was sentenced on Monday to nine years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.
Lamor Whitehead, nicknamed the “Bling Bishop” for his love of glitzy jewelry and fancy cars, was convicted in March by a federal jury of wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, attempted extortion and lying to law enforcement.
Prosecutors for the U.S. Southern District of New York accused the bishop of tricking a parishioner into handing over $90,000 of her retirement savings. Instead of using the money to buy her a home and fix it up, they said, he spent it at Louis Vuitton, Foot Locker and Grubhub.
Prosecutors also said Whitehead tried to convince a Bronx businessman to lend him $500,000 in exchange for favorable treatment from Adams — a promise U.S. Attorney Damian Williams' office said Whitehead knew he couldn’t keep.
“Lamor Whitehead is a con man who stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners,” Williams said in a statement on Monday, adding that Whitehead also lied during his trial. “Today’s sentence puts an end to Whitehead’s various schemes and reflects this Office’s commitment to bring accountability to those who abuse their positions of trust.”
Whitehead has vehemently maintained his innocence, including in a podcast interview with another high-profile pastor, Jamal Bryant.
“To be labeled as stealing from the church and stealing from people, it’s like, no, I’m into real estate," he told Bryant. "I’ve been doing real estate for over 20 years."
Whitehead’s attorney, Dawn Florio, said in a statement that her team remained “steadfast” in its belief that White is innocent. “We will explore all available legal avenues to ensure that justice is served,” she said. “Our dedication to proving Bishop Whitehead’s innocence is unwavering, and we will immediately begin the appeal process.”
At an unrelated press conference on Monday, Adams said Whitehead was "in his prayers."
Even before Whitehead was charged in federal court, he was a fixture in the local media. A self-professed “mentee” of Adams, he claimed to help arrange the surrender of a man who killed a fellow passenger in an unprovoked shooting on the Q train in 2022. That July, a group entered his church and robbed him at gunpoint while he delivered a live-streamed sermon. They stole more than $1 million worth of jewelry from the pastor and his wife, according to NYPD records.
Two men pleaded guilty to federal robbery charges in the incident. Police killed a third suspect in the robbery in a shootout while attempting to arrest him.
Prosecutors said during their opening statement in Whitehead's trial that he deceived his parishioners and others to fund his “extravagant lifestyle” and “expensive taste.” They said he falsely claimed to have millions of dollars in a bank account when he was actually broke.
But Whitehead’s defense attorney said there were holes in the prosecution’s case, which she said lacked evidence.
Whitehead said in his conversation with Bryant that he is “one of the top three closest” people to Adams and that federal officials were using him to build a case against the mayor, whose campaign is under federal investigation. Neither Adams nor his campaign have been charged with wrongdoing.
“Everyone knows that me and Eric are close,” said Whitehead.
A judge revoked Whitehead’s bond and sent him to federal jail while he awaited sentencing, after learning about the pastor’s public statements this spring.
This story has been updated with comment from Mayor Adams. Elizabeth Kim contributed reporting.
Tagged
corruption
public safety
bribery
sdny
brooklyn
Politics
eric adams
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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