Bishop Lamor Whitehead sentenced to 9 years in prison

Bishop Lamor Whitehead — the viral New York pastor who is better known for his spending habits than his sermons — was sentenced to nine years in prison related to fraud and extortion on June 17.

Whitehead, who is also known as the “Bling Bishop,” was found guilty in March 2024 for five counts of wire fraud, attempted extortion, lying to the FBI and charges related to three separate schemes where he scammed several victims out of tens of thousands of dollars.

The bishop was accused of stealing around $90,000 from one of his parishioners after promising to assist with buying her a home. He used that money to fund his luxurious lifestyle, including a mansion in Paramus, N.J., while owning multiple properties near Hartford, Conn.

He also applied for a $250,o00 business loan using falsified records and extorted a businessman for $5,000.

“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,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian 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.”

Whitehead is most famously known for being robbed during a livestream of his service in July 2022, where three robbers stole around $1 million in jewelry while they held Whitehead at gunpoint.