News by email Donate

Suggestions

USA News

New York ‘bling bishop’ convicted of fraud and attempted extortion

by Heather Preston
BISHOP BLING.png - Banner image
Instagram / iambishopwhitehead

American preacher Lamor Miller-Whitehead, has been convicted of multiple counts of fraud, including conning an elderly single mother out of $90,000 (£70,300).

The founder of Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches was convicted of wire fraud, attempted extortion and lying to the FBI by a federal court on Monday.

Dubbed the ‘bling bishop’ for his flashy lifestyle and extravagant spending habits, Whitehead was accused of defrauding an elderly parishioner out of her life savings and attempting to extort a local businessman.

He was accused of conning Pauline Anderson, an elderly single mother, with the promise of buying her a home that he would renovate for her. Prosecutors said, he instead spent the money on luxury items. The Brooklyn preacher has also been accused of lying to FBI agents about owning a second mobile phone, falsifying bank statements to secure a loan of $250,000 (£195,500) and attempting to extort an auto body shop owner for $5,000 (£3,908) following a repair job.

Known for driving a Rolls Royce and owning multiple homes, Whitehead previously made headlines after thieves stole $1m (£854,500) in jewellery from him during a livestreamed Sunday church service.

Whitehead was arrested in connection with the charges in December 2022, before being released on bail.

His attorney, Dawn Florio will appeal the verdict.

He is set to be sentenced in July.

A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference

In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.

Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.

For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.

Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate