Kofi Inkoom
Brooklyn bishop known for his flashy style and infamous for being robbed during a sermon was sentenced to nine years in prison due to fraud and extortion charges, announced U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on Monday, as reported by Molly Crane-Newman of New York News Daily.
The bishop was accused of defrauding his parishioners of approximately $90,000 from their retirement savings. Lamor Whitehead allegedly promised one parishioner, Lamor Whitehead, to assist her in purchasing a home but instead used the money for “luxury goods and other personal expenses,” leaving her devastated.
She ended up losing everything she had worked for, including incurring $40,000 in penalties and legal fees for early retirement withdrawals and taxes on the misused funds, according to court records.
Described as a “con man” by Williams, Whitehead was found guilty of various other schemes. These included fraudulently applying for a $250,000 business loan using falsified bank statements and extorting $5,000 from a businessman under false pretenses, promising political favors from Mayor Eric Adams in return, prosecutors alleged. Moreover, during an FBI raid on his New Jersey mansion, Whitehead reportedly lied to agents.
In response, Whitehead’s attorney, Dawn Florio, asserted his innocence, saying ,
“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.”
In addition to the prison term, Whitehead will serve three years of supervised release and is required to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000, as per Williams.