Lamor Whitehead, who leads a church in Brooklyn, New York, was convicted Monday, March 11, of fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to federal agents. Whitehead, who made headlines in July 2022 after thieves stole over $1 million worth of jewelry from him and his wife in the middle of a church service, plans to appeal the verdict.
“As a unanimous jury found, Lamor Whitehead abused the trust placed in him by a parishioner,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a statement, “tried to obtain a fraudulent loan using fake bank records, bullied a businessman for $5,000, tried to defraud him out of far more than that, and lied to federal agents.”
“Whitehead’s reprehensible lies and criminal conduct have caught up with him, as he now stands convicted of five federal crimes and faces time in prison,” Williams said.
Lamor Whitehead Found Guilty, Maintains Innocence
Bishop Lamor Whitehead, 47, is the pastor of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. The theft of $1 million of jewelry took place while Whitehead was preaching and was caught on his church’s livestream.
Sometimes called the “bling bishop,” Whitehead is known for his extravagant lifestyle that has included driving a Rolls Royce, living in a mansion, and wearing Gucci suits. Before founding Leaders of Tomorrow, he served five years in prison for identity theft and grand larceny.
Shortly after news of the jewelry theft broke, it came to light that Whitehead was being sued for allegedly stealing $90,000 from the retirement fund of one of his congregants, 56-year-old Pauline Anderson.
In September 2022, Whitehead was arrested after he grabbed a woman during one of his sermons and forced her off-camera, but the charges were dropped. In November 2022, Whitehead filed a defamation suit, seeking $50 million in damages from a radio station for comments implying Whitehead committed crimes.
On Dec. 19, 2022, the bishop was arrested and charged with fraud, extortion, and lying to federal agents. The charges included that Whitehead had defrauded Pauline Anderson, as well as that he had extorted $5,000 from a businessman and attempted to get the same man to lend him $500,000.
