Brooklyn’s “Bling Bishop” sentenced to 9 years in prison for fraud and extortion

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

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A flamboyant Brooklyn bishop, widely known as “Bling Bishop,” was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for financial fraud schemes, including stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a parishioner and attempting to extortion of a businessman, federal prosecutors said.

Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead, 45, was convicted in March of two counts of wire fraud, one count of attempted wire fraud and one count of attempted extortion, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. He was also convicted of one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement officers.

Miller-Whitehead's convictions stem from three separate schemes, in which prosecutors said he stole millions of dollars.

“Lamor Whitehead is a con artist who stole millions of dollars in a series of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “He lied to federal agents and then to the court during his trial. “Today’s sentence puts an end to Whitehead’s various schemes and reflects this office’s commitment to holding those who abuse their positions of trust to account.”

In addition to Miller-Whitehead's prison sentence, prosecutors said the 45-year-old New Jersey man was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit at $95,000.

Miller-Whitehead was bishop of the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries church in Canarsie, Brooklyn, which he helped found after serving five years in prison for identity theft and grand theft.

He was known for his flashy lifestyle and lived in a $1.6 million mansion in Paramus, New Jersey. Miller-Whitehead also owned several apartment buildings in Hartford, Connecticut.

The bishop made headlines in July 2022 when armed assailants robbed him and his wife during a live-streamed church service. At the time, police said Miller-Whitehead was robbed of $1 million worth of jewelry.

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Bling Bishop stole approximately $90,000 from a parishioner's retirement savings

According to an indictment, Miller-Whitehead stole from his parishioners, attempted to defraud and extort a businessman and committed loan fraud. He also falsely promised favors to New York City Mayor Eric Adams in exchange for lucrative deals.

Prosecutors said Miller-Whitehead persuaded one of his parishioners to invest about $90,000 of her retirement savings by promising her he would use the money to help her buy a home. But instead of helping her, he spent the money on personal expenses, like luxury items.

When the parishioner demanded that Miller-Whitehead pay her back, “he continued to lie to avoid returning the money,” prosecutors added.

In another scheme, prosecutors said Miller-Whitehead extorted $5,000 from a businessman. He then attempted to persuade the same man to lend him a $500,000 loan and give him an interest in real estate deals by falsely promising favorable actions from Adams.

Miller-Whitehead also submitted a fraudulent application for a $250,000 business loan, which included false bank statements claiming he had “millions of dollars in the bank and hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly income,” according to prosecutors .

In addition to the three schemes, prosecutors said Miller-Whitehead made false statements to FBI agents during a search of his New Jersey mansion. He falsely claimed that he owned only one cell phone and concealed the existence of a second cell phone that he used regularly and which was inside his house at the time of the search, according to prosecutors.

Bling Bishop's ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams

Before Miller-Whitehead's arrest, he had close ties to Adams, who served as Brooklyn borough president from 2014 to 2021.

USA TODAY previously reported that when Miller-Whitehead was arrested on wire fraud and extortion charges in December 2022, Adams said he “spent decades enforcing the law” and expected “everyone would follow.”

“I have also dedicated my life to helping people with troubled pasts,” Adams said at the time. “While these allegations are troubling, I will refrain from further comment until the process reaches its final conclusion.”

CBS News reported that Adams addressed Miller-Whitehead's sentencing on Monday, saying the bishop was in his “prayers and I wish him the best.”

Contributor: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; Manahil Ahmad, NorthJersey.com

Bling Bishop stole approximately $90,000 from a parishioner's retirement savings

Bling Bishop's ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams

Lina Portman

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