Bishop Lamor Whitehead, a flashy New York bishop that went viral when he was robbed for $1 million of jewelry in the middle of a live-streamed church service earlier this year, is now facing federal charges for a scheme in which he allegedly swindled parishioners and extorted a local businessman for his own personal gain.
The Leaders of Tomorrow Ministry founder was arrested and charged with several federal crimes, including wire fraud, extortion and making false statements.
According to The Daily Beast, the indictment alleges that Whitehead told a woman who attended his church he would use her savings of $90,000 to purchase a home and then invest the remaining money in his real–estate business. But shortly after the parishioner transferred the funds, Whitehead used it to buy thousands of dollars worth of luxury goods.
In another scheme, prosecutors allege that Whitehead tried to convince a local businessman to lend him around $500,000 in exchange for Whitehead obtaining “favorable actions by the New York City government…that would enrich [them] both.”
This isn’t the first time Whitehead has face legal trouble. Back in 2013, he was released from Sing Sing prison after serving six years for being convicted of 17 counts of identity theft. (Whitehead credits this experience as bringing him closer to God.)
Whitehead was released on $1 million bond on Monday and is due back in court next month. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 65 years in prison.
