Lamor Whitehead, also known as “Bling Bishop,” is charged with attempting to extort and defraud a businessman, defrauding a parishioner of her retirement money, and telling lies to the FBI. Whitehead was detained on Monday and will be prosecuted in federal court on charges that he threatened his victims or made untrue promises to obtain money from them.
Lies and Promises Lead to Jail
Whitehead assures his victims that their funds were invested for their financial gain. One parishioner gave him about $90,000 of her retirement funds, which Whitehead used for luxury items and other personal expenses.
He allegedly demanded $5,000 from a businessman while pleading with him to lend him $500,000. Whitehead is accused of lying and promising the man a stake in real estate deals when Whitehead knew he could not get one, cbsnews.com posted.
The bishop falsely claimed that he had no cellphones other than the one he had on him when FBI agents were executing a search warrant, but the authorities discovered that he owned a second phone.
If found guilty, Whitehead faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for two counts of wire fraud, another 20 years for one count of extortion, and a full five-year prison term for one count of making materially false statements.
Proclamation of Innocence
Whitehead remained defiant despite the new legal challenge, referring to himself as a man of excellence and integrity. He maintains his innocence despite accusations from the victims and new evidence.
He asserted his innocence in a 15-minute Instagram video while lounging on a plush couch in front of two self-portraits taken in a studio. He stated that he is still the same bishop and that just because he was arrested doesn’t make him guilty.
He urged people to conduct some research because the media is attempting to brainwash everyone, just as he was accused of doing when he claimed that the church robbery that occurred a few months ago was staged. Everyone is aware that the “Bling Bishop” is a hot topic because he enjoys luxury goods.
