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The federal fraud trial of Brooklyn’s “Bling Bishop” Lamor Whitehead began Monday afternoon with prosecutors arguing he lied, cheated and stole to fund his lavish lifestyle.
Whitehead, 47, a Rolls-Royce-driving bishop, has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements to the FBI.
“This is a case about fraud, about a conman who told lie after lie to victim after victim,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Greenwood told jurors during her opening statement at the start of Whitehead’s trial.
The typically ostentatious religious leader sat in a Manhattan courtroom wearing a dark suit and listening attentively as prosecutors laid out their case against him. Whitehead is accused of defrauding the mother of one of his parishioners out of her retirement savings, attempting to defraud and extort a local businessman, and lying to the FBI.
NYC ‘BLING BISHOP’ ACCUSED OF DEFRAUDING PARISHONER OF RETIREMENT MONEY TO FUND LUXURY LIFESTYLE: INDICTMENT
The Brooklyn preacher who prosecutors say looted a parishioner’s retirement savings and tried to extort a businessman to fuel his lavish lifestyle went on trial Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Manhattan federal court. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
Greenwood said Whitehead’s goal was to get money and he had expensive tastes. “The defendant was willing to lie, cheat and steal to keep up the appearance of wealth,” she said.
The jury listened as the prosecutor described how Whitehead allegedly targeted a single mother. She said he convinced the woman to give him $90,000 of her retirement savings and believed that Whitehead was going to assist her in finding a home.
Instead, prosecutors say, the defendant spent the money on himself – on Louis Vuitton bags and payments for a BMW, among other things.
Prosecutors also said Whitehead leveraged his friendship with New York City Mayor Eric Adams to extort cash from a local businessman. Whitehead is accused of promising favors from Adams in exchange for $500,000. He allegedly promised Brandon Belmonte, a body shop owner, that Adams would “do whatever I need.”
NYC BISHOP ROBBED OF $1M IN JEWELRY MID-SERMON FILES $20M LAWSUITS AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA CRITICS CLAIMING HOAX
Bishop Lamor Whitehead speaks during a news conference in Brooklyn on July 29, 2022. Whitehead faces trial two years after a grand jury lodged wire fraud and attempted extortion charges against him. (Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The bishop and the mayor became friends while Adams served as Brooklyn’s borough president before he was elected to lead the city. Asked about the allegations last week, Adams told reporters legal filings by the prosecution “stated that clearly [Whitehead] did not have authorization and there was no connectivity to the actions of [the] mayor or borough president.”
Belmonte complained to federal authorities, who opened an investigation into Whitehead in 2022 that led to his arrest about six months later.
Defense attorney Dawn Florio, enunciating into the mic, told jurors there is a “lack of evidence” and that the government’s case has “holes in it.”
Florio denied the charges against her client and said the woman was cheated by her own son, who borrowed the money to buy a home for himself, leaving his mother with nothing. She also said the allegations of extorting a local body shop owner are not true, and that it is really a civil dispute between the two men, not a criminal matter.
NYC ‘BLING BISHOP’ FACES TRIAL FOR FRAUD CHARGES PROSECUTORS SAY FUELD LAVISH LIFESTYLE
Lamor Whitehead leaves federal court on Sept. 28, 2022, in Brooklyn, New York. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Florio urged the jurors to assess the credibility of the witnesses and to keep an open mind because their “mind must be like a parachute.”
Whitehead has been free on $500,000 bail since his arrest, which came only months after he was the victim of a robbery when $1 million in jewelry was stolen from him by gunmen who surprised him during a church service.
Among pretrial evidentiary rulings, the judge agreed to exclude mention of Whitehead’s criminal conviction for identity theft and grand larceny, which resulted in a five-year prison stint, although it could be brought up if he decides to testify.
Whitehead became a bishop when he founded the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in 2013.
The Brooklyn preacher owns a $1.6 million home in Paramus, New Jersey, and an apartment in Hartford, Connecticut.
Whitehead has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The trial is expected to last about a week and a half.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A Pennsylvania school bus driver is accused of driving 54 elementary school children while over four times the legal alcohol limit, authorities said, after reports she was swerving through traffic and nearly hitting vehicles before the bus ended up in a snowbank.
On Tuesday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Douglass Township Police Chief Robert B. Evans announced an arrest warrant for Kelly Weber, 46, of Boyertown.
Weber is charged with driving under the influence, 54 counts each of endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment and related summary offenses.
Authorities said police were alerted around 4 p.m. Feb. 6 that a school bus was driving erratically and narrowly missing other vehicles.
A Pennsylvania school bus driver is accused of driving 54 children with a .331% BAC before stopping in a snowbank. She faces DUI and 54 child endangerment counts. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
A responding officer later found the bus stopped in a snowbank.
Investigators said officers found an open 750ml bottle of Tito’s vodka, two empty 50ml bottles and a receipt showing the alcohol was purchased earlier that morning.
RHODE ISLAND TEACHER ACCUSED OF SEXTING, KISSING HIGH SCHOOL BOY
A Pennsylvania school bus driver is accused of driving 54 children with a .331% BAC before stopping in a snowbank. She faces DUI and 54 child endangerment counts. (iStock)
According to authorities, a blood test showed Weber’s blood alcohol concentration was .331%, more than four times the legal limit of .08%, and detected Delta-9 Carboxy THC.
Investigators said 54 children were on the bus, including five younger than 6. Several children called or texted their parents during the ride because they were frightened by the driving, and one child exited at an earlier stop and was picked up by his parents, authorities said.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH CHARGED WITH RAPING FOSTER DAUGHTER, SERVING VICTIM TEQUILA SHOTS: REPORT
A Pennsylvania school bus driver is accused of driving 54 children with a .331% BAC before stopping in a snowbank. She faces DUI and 54 child endangerment counts. (iStock, File)
“More than 50 young children were in a dangerous situation created by this defendant, who chose to consume a significant amount of alcohol and then get behind the wheel of a school bus and drive miles while intoxicated,” Steele said. “We are all thankful that this defendant didn’t crash the bus and cause further harm to these children.”
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Weber checked herself into a rehabilitation facility after the incident, authorities said. She is expected to turn herself in for arraignment, at which time bail will be set.
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Boston Marathon
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Brianna Poehler
City/State: Granby, Mass.
I am running the 2026 Boston Marathon with Miles for Miracles in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. The Boston Marathon is deeply personal to me and my family.
My daughter is a liver transplant survivor, and at just 11 months old, she received a life-saving liver transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital.
What could have been the most devastating chapter of our lives became a story of hope, resilience, and extraordinary care because of the BCH team.
When our daughter was so small and so sick, the doctors, nurses, and staff at Boston Children’s carried us through the unimaginable.
They combined world-class medical expertise with compassion that went far beyond treatment plans and hospital rooms. They cared for our daughter as if she were their own. They supported us as anxious, exhausted parents. They gave us answers when we had questions, and reassurance when we were overwhelmed.
Most importantly, they gave our daughter a second chance at life.
Today, she is thriving because of that gift. Every milestone she reaches is a reminder of the miracle she received and the team that made it possible. Running the Boston Marathon is my way of honoring that gift and saying thank you in the most meaningful way I can.
The marathon is a test of endurance, determination, and heart — qualities I saw in my daughter during her fight and in the Boston Children’s team every single day.
With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.
By running with Miles for Miracles, I hope to raise funds that will support groundbreaking research, life-saving treatments, and compassionate care for children like my daughter. This race is more than 26.2 miles — it is a celebration of survival, gratitude, and hope.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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Along with the best football prospects the season has to offer, the NFL Draft promises to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Pittsburgh from April 23 to 25.
If the turnout approaches that of Detroit in 2023, those descending on the North Shore and Downtown could reach 700,000 over the three days. For reference, that’s more than 10 times Acrisure Stadium’s 68,400 seats, and more than double the city’s roughly 308,000 residents.
Where will they stay? How will they get around?
Event planners at VisitPittsburgh say the city is up to the task.
“They picked us out of several cities because we have the infrastructure,” said Perry Ivery, general manager of the Oaklander Hotel and board chair of VisitPittsburgh.
Last year, Wisconsin’s Green Bay comfortably accommodated a unique visitor count three times its 106,000 population, according to residents and local leaders.
Ivery said there are some 26,000 hotel rooms across the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, the bulk of which are concentrated in and around Downtown.
Even if each room holds two to four people, the total still appears to fall short. But Ivery said many attendees will be locals, whether from Pittsburgh, surrounding counties or neighboring states within a day’s drive.
Plus, a high proportion of out-of-town guests could have Pittsburgh roots and a free bed to claim in a family home, he added.
There are also around 3,500 units available for short-term rental in and around Pittsburgh through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
“We’re all working together to make sure everybody has a great hospitality experience in the City of Pittsburgh,” Ivery said.
Infrastructure from roads to parking, and bus and light rail routes, will also feel the strain.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit normally services around 100,000 riders on an average weekday, across its entire network. Spokesperson Adam Brandolph said the agency is prepared for the transit demands of what’s expected to be the biggest event the city has hosted.
“We’re confident that we’ll be able to meet the needs of visitors to the draft as well as daily riders,” he said, noting “no major closures or detours” are planned for the event other than the University Line project, which may see less construction during that week.
Brandolph said the agency is finalizing plans and intends to make more information public soon.
A spokesperson for VisitPittsburgh said a local committee is working with a range of stakeholders including transportation agencies, engineering partners and local government “to deliver a coordinated and comprehensive plan for the region.”
“This includes collaboration with public transit agencies on adjusted service plans, clearly marked detour routes, designated rideshare zones and proactive communication with residents, businesses and commuters,” said Alex Kenzakoski, communications director for VisitPittsburgh.
“Our shared goal is to minimize disruption, keep the region moving and make travel as predictable and seamless as possible for both fans and locals.”
Kenzakoski said details on road closures, transit adjustments and travel guidance will be made known ahead of the draft, and encouraged fans to download the NFL OnePass app for transportation information and updates.
Ivery said a successful draft week execution could line Pittsburgh up for future hosting prospects.
“There’re going to be folks that come in that have never been to Pittsburgh … This is a case to showcase our town, and our hotels,” he said.
“We’re friendly, we have grit, we’re very excited to showcase that we can do large-scale activities.”
This story first appeared in Pittsburgh’s Public Source. Read the original here.
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