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Brooklyn's 'Bling Bishop' Lamor Whitehead denies stealing from parishioner's mother on day 1 of fraud trial

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Brooklyn's 'Bling Bishop' Lamor Whitehead denies stealing from parishioner's mother on day 1 of fraud trial

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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.  

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“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. 

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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)

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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

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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. 

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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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Connecticut

Connecticut Launches New Era for Community Hospital Care – UConn Today

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Connecticut Launches New Era for Community Hospital Care – UConn Today


Marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting and attended by Governor Ned Lamont, state legislators, Waterbury officials, and community leaders, UConn Health celebrated the acquisition of Waterbury Hospital which as of today is now the UConn Health Waterbury Hospital.

“This is a defining moment for healthcare in Connecticut,” said Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health Community Network.  “We now have the opportunity to take the award -winning academic quality and service of UConn Health and share it with the wonderful employees, doctors and community of Waterbury.”

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont described the initiative as a forward-looking investment in the future of healthcare access across Connecticut.

“Connecticut is leading with innovation,” said Connecticut Governor Lamont. “The UConn Health Community Network reflects a proactive approach to strengthening community-based care by connecting it directly to the capabilities of our state’s public academic medical center. What begins in Waterbury today, represents a new model designed to expand opportunity, access, and excellence for communities statewide.”

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In addition to UConn Health Waterbury Hospital, the Network includes UConn Health Community Network Medical Group and UConn Health Waterbury Health at Home. The model preserves each member’s local identity and will grow thoughtfully over time to improve quality, expand access, and reduce the total cost of care. 

“This reflects a bold step forward in how we think about healthcare in Connecticut,” said John Driscoll, Chair of the UConn Health Board of Directors. “Today we celebrate the beginning of a new approach to community-based care. We move forward with clarity of purpose and shared commitment to serve our communities better together.”

 Comptroller Sean Scanlon highlighted the significance of the model for the long-term evolution of healthcare delivery in Connecticut. 

“This partnership represents thoughtful leadership at a pivotal time for healthcare,” said Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon. “By aligning community hospitals with academic medicine, Connecticut is building a modern framework that positions our healthcare system to meet the needs of patients today and into the future.”

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“Hosting this celebration on our campus is deeply meaningful for our staff, physicians and the families we serve,” said Deborah Weymouth, President of UConn Health Waterbury Hospital. “Waterbury’s legacy of care continues, and we are tremendously proud to have a strong partner who is deeply committed to our community and help lead this next chapter for healthcare.”

Welcome UConn Health Waterbury Hospital!



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Maine

Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition

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Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition


For a lot of people throughout Maine, there’s some built up frustration that they’ve just been keeping inside.

That frustration can come in a lot of different forms. From finances to relationships to the world around you.

So it makes plenty of sense that a rage room opened in Portland, Maine, where people can let some of that frustration out.

It’s called Mayhem and people have been piling in to smash, crush and do dastardly things to inanimate objects that had no idea what was coming.

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But Mayhem has realized not everyone is down with swinging a sledgehammer. So they’ve decided to cook up something new.

Mayhem Creating ‘Scream Room’ at Their Space in Portland, Maine

Perhaps the thought of swinging a baseball bat and destroying a glass vase brings you joy. The thought of how sore your body will be after that moment makes you less excited.

Mayhem Portland has heard you loud and clear and is developing a new way to get the rage out. By just screaming.

Mayhem is working on opening their very first scream room. It’s exactly what you think it is, a safe place to spend some time just screaming all of the frustration out.

There isn’t an official opening date set yet but it’s coming soon along with pricing.

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Mayhem in Portland, Maine, Will Still Offer Rage Rooms and Paint Splatter

While a scream room is on the way, you can still experience a good time at Mayhem with one of their rage rooms or a paint splatter room.

Both can be experienced in either 20-minute or 30-minute sessions.

All the details including some age and attire requirements can be found here.

TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Things to do in Portland, Maine

Looking for fun things to do in Portland, ME? Here is what the reviewers on TripAdvisor say are the 10 best attractions.

This list was updated in March of 2026

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Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka

Top 15 of The Most Powerful People in Maine

Ever wonder who the most powerful players are in Maine? I’ve got a list!

Gallery Credit: Getty Images





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Massachusetts

Ice covered highways, streets and sidewalks in Boston area rattled nerves during morning commute: “I’m ready for the thaw”

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Ice covered highways, streets and sidewalks in Boston area rattled nerves during morning commute: “I’m ready for the thaw”


It was a treacherous commute for drivers across Massachusetts Wednesday morning. Ice on roads and highways caused several crashes during rush hour.

In Danvers, 22 miles north of Boston, the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 1 north was covered in ice, leading to three separate crashes involving twelve cars. Three people were taken to local hospitals.

In Danvers, Mass. the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 1 north was covered in ice, leading to three separate crashes involving twelve cars on March 4, 2026.

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CBS Boston


In Revere, just seven miles north of the city, two tractor-trailers collided on North Shore Road. Police said it will be shut down for most of the day. It’s unclear if this crash was caused by icy conditions.

Forty-four miles west of Boston, a tractor-trailer ran off the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Westboro. One person was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with what were described by the fire department as “non-life threatening injuries.”

The ice wasn’t just a problem for drivers. People walking around Boston were also slipping and sliding Wednesday morning.

“I almost fell at least five times but I didn’t. I don’t know how. I screamed and caught edges,” Swapna Vantzelfde told CBS News Boston about her walk to work in the South End. It took longer than usual.

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“The internal streets they just don’t get plowed, the little ones that people live on and then these arteries, the big streets, they’re cleaned a lot better,” she said.

Those on two legs and four were all stepping gingerly across slick spots.

“A little treacherous. Very slick and icy out here,” said a father pushing a stroller. “Sometimes you have something to hold on to, which helps.”

With plenty of snow piled along sidewalks and between parking spots, most people are done with winter.

“I’m over it. I’m ready for the thaw,” said one man. 

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