Bishop Lamor Whitehead has been sentenced to nine years in prison.
According to reports, the “Bling Bishop,” was found guilty of multiple financial fraud crimes, which he gained millions from. In March, Bishop Whitehead was convicted of attempted wire fraud, wire fraud, attempted extortion, and more.
In 2022, Whitehead and his wife were robbed of $1 million worth of jewelry while their church service was being live streamed. During his trial, Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney, called him a con man.
“Lamor Whitehead is a con man who stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners,” Williams said. “He lied to federal agents, and again to the Court at his trial. Today’s sentence puts an end to Whitehead’s various schemes and reflects this Office’s commitment to bring accountability to those who abuse their positions of trust.”
Aside from being sentenced to nine years, he was also senteneced to three years of supervised released and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000. Lamor Whitehead’s attorney, Dawn Florio, released a statement proclaiming his innocence.
“As today’s sentencing was not what we had hoped for, we are deeply saddened by the outcome. Despite this setback, we remain steadfast in our belief in Bishop Lamor Miller Whitehead’s innocence and are committed to continuing the fight.” She continued, “We will explore all available legal avenues to ensure that justice is served. Our dedication to proving Bishop Whitehead’s innocence is unwavering, and we will immediately begin the appeal process.”
After the robbery, Whitehead was also accused of convincing one of his parishioners of investing $90,000 from her retirement with him. He promised he would help her buy a house. However, it was discovered that he spent the money on personal goods and did not pay her back.
He has reportedly extorted other people out of thousands of dollars as well, including a businessman of $5,000. Money he was unable to return.