*Convicted! Lamor Whitehead, dubbed the “Bling Bishop,” was found guilty during his Manhattan trial on Monday. He was convicted of stealing the life savings of a parishioner’s mother.
Along the way, he falsely claimed that Mayor Adams had bestowed upon him “the key to the city” to facilitate his fraud.
After a few hours of deliberation in Manhattan Federal Court, jurors found 46-year-old Whitehead guilty on five counts, which included wire fraud, attempted extortion, lying to the FBI, and related charges arising from three distinct schemes.
Dawn Florio, Whitehead’s lawyer, briefly stated, “We are appealing the verdict.”
Whitehead, a pastor who has attracted media attention and whom Adams has referred to as a mentee, had pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was unavailable for immediate comment but had delivered an emotional speech the day before the verdict, reports the NY Daily News.
In his tearful soliloquy during a live-streamed sermon on Sunday, Whitehead expressed, “This is a time where we rejoice in the Lord; this is not a time to be sad… There are always going to be people who wish on your downfall…”
Throughout the trial, jurors learned how Whitehead victimized Pauline Anderson, a single mother of one of his parishioners at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, Brooklyn, along with a money lending company and Bronx businessman Brandon Belmonte.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Greenwood emphasized during the trial that Whitehead, once trusted by many in his community, abused that trust repeatedly by lying.
Anderson, emotionally testifying during the trial, recounted her trust in Whitehead, whom she considered a mentor and spiritual adviser to her son. She invested $90,000 of her life savings, believing it would be used to buy and renovate a home. However, evidence showed that Whitehead spent the money on himself, indulging in designer clothing, a BMW, and other luxuries.
Whitehead, previously convicted of identity theft, faces a potential 45-year sentence when sentenced on July 1. A spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams declined to comment on the case.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: Bishop Lamor Whitehead Asked God to ‘Smite Parishioner’s Son: Court Testimony | VIDEO
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