Lamor Whitehead, the New York City bishop robbed while his service was streaming, was arrested Monday morning on federal fraud and extortion charges.
NBC New York reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that authorities took Whitehead into custody on an indictment in Manhattan and believe the bishop, who made headlines after being robbed of $1 million of jewelry on a livestreamed Sunday service, scammed a parishioner out of about $90,000 in retirement savings.
Whitehead previously served five years in prison on identity theft charges, and he dodged questions about the alleged fraud and extortion at a news conference earlier this year. The 45-year-old maintained his innocence and reprimanded reporters for bringing up the issue.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Whitehead used the parishioner’s savings, which she considered an investment, to buy luxury goods and for other personal reasons. Prosecutors also claim the bishop extorted $5,000 from a businessman, after which he attempted to get the same person to lend him $500,000 in exchange “for favorable actions from the New York City government, which Whitehead knew he could not obtain,” according to the Department of Justice.
Whitehead is reportedly besties with Mayor Eric Adams and said he thinks of Adams as a “mentor, brother and friend,” NBC New York reports.
Authorities also claim Whitehead lied about possessing more than one cell phone during an FBI search.
Whitehead has been charged with two counts of wire fraud, one count of extortion and one count of making material false statements.
