Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead is scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday, where he will face charges of embezzling a parishioner’s retirement funds and attempting extortion to fund his opulent lifestyle. Known for his penchant for Rolls Royce’, Miller-Whitehead will undergo jury selection nearly two years after being indicted for wire fraud, attempted extortion, and making false statements.
Prosecutors allege that Miller-Whitehead exploited a parishioner’s trust by misappropriating their savings and deceived a businessman with fraudulent promises of leveraging his connections with New York City officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, to secure millions of dollars.
Despite the serious accusations, Miller-Whitehead has consistently maintained his innocence.
Since his arrest, Miller-Whitehead has been free on $500,000 bail. Interestingly, he was previously the victim of a robbery during a church service, where he lost $1 million worth of jewelry.
Dawn Florio, Miller-Whitehead’s attorney, asserts that the bishop has pleaded not guilty and eagerly awaits his trial to contest the charges against him.
The prosecution’s documents do not explicitly link Miller-Whitehead’s alleged crimes to his relationship with Mayor Adams during his tenure in Brooklyn. However, an evidentiary request hints that this association may be scrutinized during the trial.
The prosecution seeks testimony from a New Yorker journalist regarding the article “The Mayor and the Con Man,” published last month. Rachel Strom, representing journalist Eric Lach, argues that this subpoena could compromise journalistic integrity and potentially endanger confidential sources.
Mayor Adams has responded to inquiries about the legal proceedings, emphasizing that there was no authorized connection between his office and Miller-Whitehead’s alleged criminal activities.
The court has decided to omit references to Miller-Whitehead’s previous convictions for identity theft and grand larceny in the pretrial phase, although these details may be introduced if he opts to testify.
In the upcoming trial, Miller-Whitehead is accused of misleading a parishioner into investing $90,000, which was then allegedly used for personal luxuries, and of convincing a businessman to provide a $500,000 loan under the guise of securing preferential treatment in real estate ventures through his purported city official connections.
The arrest followed a six-month investigation in 2022, initiated by Brandon Belmonte’s complaint. The trial is expected to feature crucial evidence from covert audio recordings of conversations between Belmonte and Miller-Whitehead.
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