‘Bling bishop’ named Lamor Whitehead has been found guilty of fraud, in Manhattan Federal Court, which included swindling money from a parishioner’s mom. This shocking revelation has left many in disbelief and questioning the integrity of those in positions of trust. The elaborate scheme involved exploiting the trust and faith of unsuspecting church members for personal gain, leaving a trail of deceit and betrayal in its wake.
Living in a mansion adorned with expensive jewels and driving luxury cars, the bishop’s extravagant choices raised eyebrows within his community. Despite his charismatic presence, his financial dealings were shrouded in secrecy.
The investigation uncovered a web of deceit where the bishop exploited trust to defraud unsuspecting individuals. Through cunning schemes, he manipulated the parishioner’s mom into investing in fictitious ventures that promised high returns but delivered only disappointment.
Underneath the glitz and glamour, Bishop Whitehead’s actions revealed a darker side that preyed on vulnerable members of his congregation. The betrayal felt by those who placed their faith in him echoed through the courtroom during the trial.
“We are appealing the verdict,” Whitehead’s lawyer, Dawn Florio, said in brief remarks.
The headline-grabbing pastor, whom Adams has described as a mentee, had pleaded not guilty to all charges. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
But he gave a teary-eyed soliloquy the day before the verdict.
“This is a time where we rejoice in the Lord; this is not a time to be sad. I know I got choked up a little bit, but just thinking about the goodness, not thinking about the badness, it was the goodness,” Whitehead rambled toward the end of a live-streamed sermon on Sunday, wiping tears from his eyes.
“There are always going to be people who wish on your downfall,” he continued. “But just understand that God will step up. Don’t worry about tomorrow because we know who holds tomorrow. Amen.”
Jurors heard during the trial how Whitehead targeted the single mom of one of his parishioners at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, Brooklyn. That woman, Pauline Anderson, was targeted along with a money lending company and Bronx businessman Brandon Belmonte.
“The defendant was trusted by many in his community. He was the bishop of a small church in Brooklyn and a self-described businessman. He was a friend to the mayor of New York City,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Greenwood said last month in the government’s opening statements.
“The defendant abused that trust by lying again and again.”
When she took the stand, Anderson emotionally told jurors about trusting Whitehead — a “mentor and spiritual adviser” to her son — to invest $90,000 of her life savings accumulated during her career as a nurse. The pastor claimed he would use the proceeds to buy and renovate a fixer-upper home. After being refused a bank loan, she said the investment was his idea and that the preacher had presided over her son Rasheed Anderson’s wedding and introduced him to contacts who helped him secure his own home.
“I trusted him,” an emotional Anderson testified Feb. 27. “He said he had real estate experience. He was a man of God — he prayed for me in earnest. I believe in God, so I believed he would honestly help me to get this house.”
Trial evidence showed that Whitehead, previously convicted of identity theft, spent the cash on himself, with the funds going to designer clothing, his BMW, GrubHub, Foot Locker and other lavish purchases.
As the victim’s son tried to get back his mom’s savings, Whitehead, in a text, said he was “asking God to exact vengeance on him,” Anderson told jurors on the trial’s second day.
Remember that trust should be earned, not exploited. The lessons from this case are crystal clear – stay vigilant, question the flashy displays, and don’t let anyone take advantage of your faith or finances. There are a lot of these fraudsters in cassock out there ready to rip off gullible people in the name of Christianity.
It’s reported that Whitehead could face up to 45 years in prison when sentenced on July 1, 2024. Best of wishes to him.
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