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New York’s Bishop Lamor Whitehead arrested allegedly for fraud and extortion charges

Peter Senzamici

Bishop Lamor Whitehead, of Bergen County, was arrested Monday morning on charges of fraud, extortion and lying to federal agents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI.

Whitehead along with his wife was previously robbed last summer during a live-stream sermon from his Brooklyn church, what police said was over a million dollars of jewelry.`

The “Bling Bling Bishop” who is known for flaunting money, jewelry, fashionable suits and luxury cars while preaching from a run-down Canarsie event space. He has been accused of allegedly acquiring at least some of his prosperity through fraud, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.

Whitehead first came to prominence this year when he played a role in delivering an accused subway gunman to authorities.

Now Whitehead is facing two counts of wire fraud, one count of extortion and one count of making false statements. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 45 years behind bars.

One of the charges relates to former parishioner Pauline Anderson, who claims Whitehead convinced her to invest almost $90,000 of her life savings into a real estate scheme where the U.S. Attorney’s office thinks Whitehead spent the money on a luxury shopping spree.

Whitehead declares his innocence on fraud and extortion charges via Instagram letting his supporters know that “the bishop is not guilty, and I’m gonna fight it.”