A video of a Brooklyn pastor who was robbed of expensive jewellery whereas he was delivering a sermon went viral this week. However days later, new information got here to gentle giving this story a brand new twist. Based on The Metropolis, the assaulted priest was accused in a lawsuit of stealing $90,000 from one among his parishioners. Learn on to be taught extra concerning the new accusations and the clergyman’s extravagant background.
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Robbed Whereas Preaching
Lamor Whitehead, the bishop at Leaders of Tomorrow Worldwide Church buildings in Canarsie, ran for Brooklyn borough president in 2020. He attracted headlines final week when gunmen robbed him of jewellery throughout a live-streamed service.
A part of the reported incident was captured on video from contained in the church. The video that later went viral reveals three males clad in black robbing the priest and his spouse in the midst of his sermon. One of many males seems to place a gun in Whitehead’s again as he collects the jewellery. Studies have assorted on the worth of the jewellery, from $400,000 to $1 million.
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New Allegations
Based on a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Supreme Courtroom final yr, Whitehead persuaded Pauline Anderson, 56, to speculate virtually her total life financial savings in one among his companies, promising he might assist her purchase a house regardless of her adverse credit historical past.
The swimsuit alleges that Anderson wrote Whitehead a $90,000 cashier’s examine in November 2020. He was to provide her a $100 month-to-month allowance for dwelling bills. In early 2021, after not receiving the allowance or assistance on the house buy, Whitehead informed Anderson that he was treating her funding as a donation to his marketing campaign for the borough president.
“Mr. Whitehead fraudulently induced Ms. Anderson to liquidate her total life financial savings to pay him the ‘funding’ of $90,000.00, promising to make use of the funds to buy and renovate a home for her,” the lawsuit says.
On Thursday, the New York Every day Information reported that the swimsuit alleges Whitehead purchased a $4.4 million home in New Jersey, with a pool, fitness center and wine cellar, whereas telling Anderson he could not repay her financial savings.
Whitehead informed the Every day Information that Anderson was not telling the reality. “Her son was a member of my ministry who was eliminated as a result of he was unintegral,” he mentioned. “It is a lawsuit due to who I’m. All people that attempted to sue me due to my superstar standing is simply gonna hold getting into attempting to do what they do.”
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Within the Highlight
The pastor was within the highlight in June when he claimed he was concerned in attempting to barter the give up of a person accused of capturing and killing a Goldman Sachs worker on a New York Metropolis subway. Police finally arrested the person earlier than he might voluntarily give up.
However there may be extra; The Metropolis reported that Whitehead beforehand served state jail sentences for id fraud and grand larceny.
Whitehead has an in depth relationship with New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams and has appeared at a number of public occasions with him. “Nobody on this metropolis ought to be the sufferer of armed theft, not to mention our religion leaders and congregants worshiping in a Home of God,” Adams informed the Every day Information on Monday. “The NYPD is investigating this crime and can work tirelessly to carry the criminals concerned to justice.”
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Extravagant Bishop
Whitehead’s verified Instagram account particulars his extravagant reveals of wealth, together with his Gucci fits, diamond chains and secure of luxurious automobiles.
Based on The New York Submit, bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead insists on Instagram that his public shows of wealth did not result in Sunday’s gunpoint theft throughout his livestreamed service. “It is not about me being flashy,” mentioned the Rolls-Royce-driving bishop in a video shortly after the theft. “It is about me buying what I need to buy,” he mentioned. “It is my prerogative to buy what I need to buy. If I labored exhausting for it, I can buy what I need to buy.”
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Police Launch New Pictures of Males Accused of Robbing Bishop
In the meantime, New York police have launched new photographs and surveillance footage of the trio suspected of robbing pastor Whitehead and his spouse. The photographs present three males in black clothes with their faces largely coated. The 19-second video reveals them strolling towards a constructing minutes earlier than the theft occurred, police mentioned.
“I am excited, and I am hoping and praying that they catch all three of them,” Whitehead informed CBS New York. “I am positive the group that they are from, I am positive somebody will acknowledge them.” Whitehead introduced on Monday morning that he was providing a reward of as much as $50,000 money for the arrest of the armed males.