A New York bishop, who was robbed at gunpoint mid-sermon in July this year, has been arrested by federal authorities on charges of fraud.
Lamor Whitehead, 44, the founder of Brooklyn-based Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches, has been held on federal charges of fraud, extortion and making false statements to FBI agents, reported Fox News.
“As we allege today, Whitehead carried out several duplicitous schemes in order to receive funds from his victims,” said FBI assistant director Michael J Driscoll in a statement on Monday.
“Additionally, when speaking with authorities, Whitehead consciously chose to mislead and lie to them. If you are willing to attempt to obtain funds through false promises or threats, the FBI will ensure that you are made to face the consequences for your actions in our criminal justice system.”
Prosecutors said the bishop has been charged with two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and one count of making material false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
According to the indictment cited by the outlet, Mr Whitehead is accused of inducing one of his parishioners to invest approximately $90,000 of her retirement savings with him.
It accuses him of spending the sum on luxury goods and other personal purposes.
“As we allege today, Lamor Whitehead abused the trust placed in him by a parishioner, bullied a businessman for $5,000, then tried to defraud him of far more than that, and lied to federal agents,” US attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
“His campaign of fraud and deceit stops now.”
In September, Mr Whitehead was arrested for allegedly grabbing a woman during a live-streamed sermon.
The bishop has faced backlash before for his lavish jewel collection that he and his wife are known to display, but he has earlier pushed back against the accusation that he is in any way “scamming” his parishioners.
In July, the bishop and his wife were robbed at gunpoint of more than $1m worth of jewellery during a live-streamed church service. The three men who burst into the ministry demanded jewelry from Mr Whitehead and his 38-year-old wife.
