Bishop Lamor Whitehead Convicted Of Multiple Fraud Charges, Including Scamming Parishioner Out Of Her $90K Retirement Savings And Funding Own Luxury Lifestyle

Brooklyn, New York Bishop Lamar Whitehead , 46, has been convicted of multiple fraud charges after allegedly scamming a parishioner out of her $90,000 retirement savings and using the money to fund his own luxury lifestyle.

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Whitehead, who is known as the “Bling Bishop” with his flashy, luxury possessions, was convicted in Manhattan federal court on Monday (March 11). He was found guilty on five counts, including wire fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to the F.B.I. In addition to being accused of scamming one of his church members, Whitehead was also accused of trying to extort a businessman while boasting about his ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams .

Prosecutors also reported that Whitehead, who had a previous conviction for identity theft, coerced his victims into giving him money by lying and threatening them. In his closing argument, one prosecutor named Derek Wikstrom said, “He was lying about the access, he was lying about the influence, he was lying about all of it.”

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In the case of his parishioner Pauline Anderson, 58, prosecutors said Bishop Lamor Whitehead scammed her by persuading her to invest nearly $90,000 of her retirement savings with him back in November 2020. He allegedly promised to help buy her a house because she couldn’t get a conventional loan due to her low credit score. Whitehead allegedly then blew through the money making car payments and purchasing items from Louis Vuitton and Foot Locker.

The defense attempted to place the blame on Anderson’s 30-year-old son, Rasheed Anderson, who is an active member of Whitehead’s church. The other victim is identified as Brandon Belmonte, a businessman who was running an auto body shop in the Bronx, New York.

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Prosecutors said Whitehead tried to coerce Belmonte into leading him $500,000 in exchange for direct access to Mayor Eric Adams. Firing back at the prosecutors’ claims in their closing argument, one of Whitehead’s attorneys, Declan Murray, likened the government’s case to a house riddled with termites. However, the jury believed otherwise and reached a verdict within three hours.

Meanwhile, an attorney for Whitehead, Dawn Florio, reported that they are appealing the verdict after telling the jury that evidence against her client hadn’t supported the charges. Sentencing is scheduled for July 1. He could face decades in prison.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead also headlines back in July 2022 when he was robbed at gunpoint during a live-streaming church service. During the incident, masked thieves got away with $1 million in jewelry. The Bishop was known for driving around in a Rolls Royce and records show that he lived in a $1.6 million home in Paramus, New Jersey, and also owned apartment buildings in Hartford, Connecticut.

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