It’s official: the viral “Bling Bishop” Lamor Whitehead from Brooklyn is about to trade his Gucci-down ensembles for an orange jumpsuit.
Whitehead was sentenced on Monday to nine years in prison following a conviction on several charges of conning millions of dollars, including from his own congregation. Whitehead was accused of being a con man after an elderly member of Leaders of Tomorrow International claimed she was scammed out of $90,000 on a false promise he’d buy her a home, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors claim he turned around and spent that money funding his flashy lifestyle. He was also accused of trying to defraud a businessman through extortion and lying to FBI agents who raided his Jersey mansion. A jury found him guilty on the fraud and extortion charges. Now, instead of receiving tithes and seeds, he’ll be paying thousands in restitution.
Read more from CBS News:
A judge sentenced Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead to nine years in prison Monday after his conviction on multiple charges.
He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and ordered to forfeit $95,000.
“Lamor Whitehead is a con man who stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners. He lied to federal agents, and again to the Court at 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,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.
News of the scam came to light following an armed robbery where two goons targeted the Bishop during a 2022 Sunday service. However, prosecutors say his scamming habits go all the way back to 2017 including crimes like applying for loans with fake bank statements and more, per PIX11.
In response to the sentencing, New York Mayor Eric Adams said Whitehead is “in his prayers” and “wishes the best for him.” Whitehead’s attorneys said they plan on appealing the conviction, per CBS News.