A flamboyant pastor, Lamour Whitehead, has been sentenced to 9 years in federal prison. Prosecutors say he stole millions of dollars and lied to the FBI. He is also believed to have used his ill-gotten gains to purchase influence with Democratic NYC Mayor Eric Adams. He previously made headlines when he was robbed during a live-streamed church service in 2022.
U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield, sentenced the 45-year-old pastor to 9 years in prison for a string of fraud and extortion charges. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “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.” Despite the mountain of evidence, Whitehead maintains his innocence.
Dawn Florio, his lawyer, says, “We are deeply saddened by the outcome… We will explore all available legal avenues to ensure that justice is served.” She added, “We will immediately begin the appeal process.” One of the worst crimes Whitehead was charged with was defrauding a single mother. The two-week trial explained how he stole $90,000 from a single mother working as a nurse.
He promised her that he would invest the money and use it to purchase her a home. However, prosecutors say he spent the money on himself. The victim, Pauline Anderson, said, “I lost everything I had worked for.” She added, “The anguish associated with having to repay taxes on funds the accused personally spent while I was left with nothing is indescribable.”
The trial was moved up several months when the judge revoked his bail. The pastor had appeared on social media, making false accusations against the prosecutors, the Anderson family, and the FBI, claiming that his conviction was a setup.” Pastor Whitehead drew attention with his lavish lifestyle and expensive jewelry. He is no stranger to the headlines and has long courted controversy.
In 2022, three armed robbers broke into Whitehead’s Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries. According to the New York Police Department, they “removed more than $1 million worth of jewelry” from the pastor and his wife. Later that year, the authorities filed charges against Whitehead, claiming he attempted to extort a businessman.
According to a filing from the DOJ, ” As we allege today, Lamor Whitehead abused the trust placed in him by a parishioner, bullied a businessman for $5,000, then tried to defraud him of far more than that, and lied to federal agents. His campaign of fraud and deceit stops now.” The added additional context to the dramatic incident: WHITEHEAD, 45, of Paramus, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of making material false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.”
Whitehead carried out several duplicitous schemes in order to receive funds from his victims. Additionally, when speaking with authorities, Whitehead consciously chose to mislead and lie to them, “they say.”If you are willing to attempt to obtain funds through false promises or threats, the FBI will ensure that you are made to face the consequences for your actions in our criminal justice system.”