Pastor Lamor Whitehead Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison
The ‘Bling Bishop’ maintains his innocence despite charges of fraud, extortion, and false statements
A Brooklyn pastor renowned for his Rolls Royce, designer suits and extravagant jewelry received a nine-year sentence Tuesday for stealing from one of his own parishioners, seeking to defraud and extort a businessman, and committing loan fraud.
Lamor Whitehead maintains his innocence in this video from Tue., March 12, 2024 / Video screenshot
A press release by the Southern District of New York says a state attorney sentenced Lamor Whitehead, 45, to prison for wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, attempted extortion, and making false statements to federal law enforcement agents.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called Whitehead a “con man” who stole millions of dollars in a series of financial frauds—including from one of his own parishioners.
Whitehead is the pastor and founder of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Brooklyn, New York. The bishop first made headlines in July 2022 after his church live stream caught three masked men robbing him at gunpoint while he was preaching a sermon.
The men stole $1 million worth of jewelry from the bishop.
After the robbery, Whitehead sued two YouTube personalities for $20 million each for defamation of character after they made online comments suggesting he had staged the incident. Two months later, police arrested two suspects and charged them with the robbery.
Later that year, federal agents arrested Whitehead for allegedly swindling a member of his congregation out of $90,000 that she claimed he promised to use to buy her a house.
The press release says Whitehead spent the money on luxury goods and other personal expenses, and when the woman demanded her money, he lied to avoid paying her back.
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Attorney Williams also said the bishop extorted $5,000 and attempted to extort nearly $500,000 from New York real estate investor Brandon Belmonte. In an earlier court hearing, prosecutors released a recording of Whitehead disclosing to Belmonte that, in return for stakes in particular real estate transactions, he could leverage his close relationship with New York Mayor Eric Adams to influence city officials favorably.
The allegations add that Whitehead falsified bank records to get mortgage approval on his million-dollar New Jersey mansion. The prosecutors said Whitehead falsified his records to get financing for a $1.3-million home in Paramus by making it look like an LLC he controlled had an average bank balance of over $2 million. The account actually held less than $10.
According to government investigators, Whitehead also submitted an application using false information for a $250,000 business loan for the same LLC.
The sentence is in accordance with the March 2024 jury verdict, in which Whitehead was found guilty of five federal offenses starting in 2018 following a two-week trial.
Whitehead took to Instagram the morning after the verdict, pleading his innocence and vowing to fight back.
“This trial was just another round in the fight, but the fight is not over, y’all…Stop listening to social media and do your own research,” Whitehead said in the 10-minute video he posted as he sat in his Rolls Royce. “I stand on my innocence. I’m innocent of all charges.”
At the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Williams said Whitehead lied to federal agents and again to the Court 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’s attorney, Dawn Florio, said in a statement to NPR that while “we are deeply saddened by the outcome,” Whitehead maintains his innocence.
Florio said they will pursue all feasible legal paths to guarantee justice. “We will immediately begin the appeal process,” she added.
In addition to the prison term, Whitehead must pay $85,000 in restitution, forfeit $95,000, and comply with three years of supervised release.
In 2022, MinistryWatch noted that Whitehead had an alleged history of swindling and had previously served five years in prison for identity theft and grand larceny. The same year his prison sentence ended (2013), he founded the Leaders of Tomorrow Ministry.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on financial fraud in the church? We report on them because one in three churches will be victimized, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. We also report on them because these crimes have real victims and cost taxpayers and other stakeholders billions of dollars every year. Even small crimes in small churches have huge consequences. We also report on them to remind our readers that they do not have to be victims. There are steps you can take to prevent financial waste, fraud, and abuse in your church or ministry. To find out more, click here.
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