The “Bling Bishop” Lamor Whitehead, 45, had his day in court — and let’s just say it did not go well for the flashy Brooklyn Preacher. On Monday, a Manhattan federal court found Whitehead guilty of wire fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to the FBI.
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This isn’t his first run-in with the law.
Whitehead was previously convicted of identity theft. However, the details that emerged from this new case were straight out of a Lifetime movie, presumably titled “The Preacher Who Stole My Retirement Fund.”
According to prosecutors, Whitehead convinced one of his parishioner’s Pauline Anderson to invest roughly $90,000 of her retirement fund with him. Anderson told the court that he said he would invest the money and buy her a house — instead he allegedly spent her retirement on cars and other luxury items.
“He was a man of God,” she said, according to the New York Times. “I believed him as the leader of his church.”
Whitehead was also convicted for charges related to a business con. Prosecutors said that said that the Brooklyn Preacher claimed that he could connect an auto body shop owner, Brandon Belmonte, with Mayor Eric Adams — who he claimed was a friend. Whitehead allegedly attempted to force Belmonte to lend him $500,000 in exchange for making the connection.
Whitehead was arrested in connection with these crimes, shortly after sitting down The Root for an interview in December of 2022. During the interview, Whitehead denied taking Anderson’s retirement fund, claiming that she was never a member of his congregation.
His sentencing is set for July 1st. Whitehead faces decades behind bars.
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