A Brooklyn bishop who made headlines when he was robbed during a church service that was captured on a live stream was arrested Monday for fraud, extortion, and false statements, according to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams according to ABC 7 NY.
Federal prosecutors claim Lamor Whitehead of defrauding one of his parishioners out of part of her retirement savings, trying to extort and defraud a businessman, and lying to the FBI.
“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,” FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said.
The filing alleged Whitehead convinced a woman to invest approximately $90,000 of her retirement savings with him but he instead spent the money on himself, including purchasing luxury goods.
Prosecutors allege that Whitehead extorted a businessman for $5,000, attempted to convince the same businessman to lend him $500,000 and cut him in on real estate deals.
FBI investigators also said Whitehead told agents he had just one cellphone when he in fact had a second phone which he used regularly.
Whitehead now faces decades in prison. Whitehead attorney, Dawn Florio, denied the charges saying, “Bishop Whitehead denies these allegations and we are going to fight them vigorously.”
