Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead convicted of wire fraud, attempted extortion
NEW YORK -- A Brooklyn preacher known for his flashy lifestyle, and who boasted about his friendship with Mayor Eric Adams, has been convicted on multiple charges.
A jury found Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead guilty Monday of wire fraud, attempted extortion and lying to the FBI.
The 47-year-old was accused of looting a parishioner's retirement savings and trying to extort a businessman to fuel his lavish lifestyle.
His lawyer said they plan to appeal the verdict. Meanwhile, his sentencing has been set for July.
What we know about the bishop
Miller-Whitehead made headlines in 2022 when he was robbed at gunpoint while delivering a sermon at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The suspects made off with $1 million worth of jewelry from the bishop and his wife.
Police later arrested Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack on robbery, conspiracy and weapons charges in the case.
"It's a win today, because the narrative that was posted and presented that I had something to do with this robbery, and it has destroyed my life," Miller-Whitehead said after their arrest.
The bishop was back in the news that December, as the indictment against him was announced.
According to court documents, Miller-Whitehead allegedly convinced a parishioner to invest $90,000 of her retirement savings with him, but spent it all on himself.
He was also accused of extorting a businessman out of $5,000, then convincing the businessman to lend him another half a million and give him a stake in real estate transactions -- in exchange for favors from the city government, which prosecutors said Miller-Whitehead knew he could not deliver.
He pleaded not guilty and was released on $500,000 bond.
"He feels that he is being targeted and being turned into a villain from a victim," his attorney said at the time.
Miller-Whitehead was also convicted on 17 counts of fraud back in 2008. He once described the mayor as a mentor and a friend.
"Lamor, and any other individual that I support, I continue to try to mentor. As a Black man, I have an obligation to mentor other Black men that had negative encounters in their lives and other people in general," Adams said shortly after the bishop was robbed in 2022.