Prosecutors say Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead lied, cheated and stole to get wealthy

The federal fraud trial of Brooklyn’s “Bling Bishop” Lamor Whitehead started Monday afternoon with prosecutors arguing he lied, cheated and stole to fund his lavish way of life.

Whitehead, 47, a Rolls-Royce-driving bishop, has pleaded no longer in charge to twine fraud, tried extortion and making false statements to the FBI.  

“This can be a case about fraud, a few conman who instructed lie after deceive sufferer after sufferer,” Assistant U.S. Legal professional Jessica Greenwood instructed jurors throughout her opening commentary initially of Whitehead’s trial. 

The usually ostentatious spiritual chief sat in a New york court dressed in a depressing go well with and listening attentively as prosecutors laid out their case towards him. Whitehead is accused of defrauding the mummy of one in all his parishioners out of her retirement financial savings, making an attempt to defraud and extort a neighborhood businessman, and mendacity to the FBI.  

NYC ‘BLING BISHOP’ ACCUSED OF DEFRAUDING PARISHONER OF RETIREMENT MONEY TO FUND LUXURY LIFESTYLE: INDICTMENT

Greenwood mentioned Whitehead’s function used to be to get cash and he had pricey tastes. “The defendant used to be keen to lie, cheat and scouse borrow to take care of the semblance of wealth,” she mentioned. 

The jury listened because the prosecutor described how Whitehead allegedly centered a unmarried mom. She mentioned he satisfied the girl to present him $90,000 of her retirement financial savings and believed that Whitehead used to be going to help her find a house.

As an alternative, prosecutors say, the defendant spent the cash on himself – on Louis Vuitton baggage and bills for a BMW, amongst different issues.

Prosecutors additionally mentioned Whitehead leveraged his friendship with New York Town Mayor Eric Adams to extort money from a neighborhood businessman. Whitehead is accused of promising favors from Adams in change for $500,000. He allegedly promised Brandon Belmonte, a frame store proprietor, that Adams would “do no matter I would like.”

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Bishop Lamor Whitehead speaks throughout a information convention in Brooklyn on July 29, 2022. Whitehead faces trial two years after a grand jury lodged twine fraud and tried extortion fees towards him. (Theodore Parisienne/New York Day-to-day Information/Tribune Information Provider by way of Getty Photographs)

The bishop and the mayor become buddies whilst Adams served as Brooklyn’s borough president sooner than he used to be elected to steer the town. Requested concerning the allegations final week, Adams instructed journalists criminal filings by means of the prosecution “mentioned that obviously [Whitehead] didn’t have authorization and there used to be no connectivity to the movements of [the] mayor or borough president.”

Belmonte complained to federal government, who opened an investigation into Whitehead in 2022 that ended in his arrest about six months later. 

Protection lawyer Morning time Florio, enunciating into the mic, instructed jurors there’s a “loss of proof” and that the federal government’s case has “holes in it.”  

Florio denied the fees towards her shopper and mentioned the girl used to be cheated by means of her personal son, who borrowed the cash to shop for a house for himself, leaving his mom with not anything. She additionally mentioned the allegations of extorting a neighborhood frame store proprietor don’t seem to be true, and that it’s truly a civil dispute between the 2 males, no longer a felony topic. 

NYC ‘BLING BISHOP’ FACES TRIAL FOR FRAUD CHARGES PROSECUTORS SAY FUELD LAVISH LIFESTYLE

Lamor Whitehead leaves federal courtroom on Sept. 28, 2022, in Brooklyn, New York. (Barry Williams/New York Day-to-day Information/Tribune Information Provider by way of Getty Photographs)

Florio advised the jurors to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses and to stay an open thoughts as a result of their “thoughts should be like a parachute.”

Whitehead has been loose on $500,000 bail since his arrest, which got here most effective months after he used to be the sufferer of a theft when $1 million in jewellery used to be stolen from him by means of gunmen who shocked him throughout a church carrier.

Amongst pretrial evidentiary rulings, the pass judgement on agreed to exclude point out of Whitehead’s felony conviction for id robbery and grand larceny, which led to a five-year jail stint, even if it might be introduced up if he makes a decision to testify.

Whitehead become a bishop when he based the Leaders of The next day to come World Ministries in 2013. 

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The Brooklyn preacher owns a $1.6 million house in Paramus, New Jersey, and an rental in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Whitehead has pleaded no longer in charge to the entire fees.  The trial is predicted to final a few week and a part.

The Related Press contributed to this file.