Lamor Whitehead facts for kids

Lamor M. Whitehead, also known as "Pastor Bling Bling", was born on April 30, 1978. He is an American Protestant pastor who became well-known for his flashy lifestyle and his connection to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. In 2022, Pastor Whitehead was robbed during a church service that was being shown live online. He was found guilty of fraud in May 2024 and was sentenced to nine years in prison in June 2024.

Early Life and Education

Lamor Whitehead was born in 1978. After finishing high school, he received sports scholarships to Shaw University and Farmingdale University. He then studied accounting and videography at Eastern New Mexico University. When he returned to New York, he started working as a mortgage broker, helping people get loans to buy homes.

Later, Whitehead continued his education at New York Theological Seminary. He also earned a certificate in Ministry in Human Services from the Theological Institution of Rising Hope Inc., which is connected to Nyack College. He is officially recognized as a chaplain in New York State and can perform marriages and funerals.

Past Legal Issues

In 2005, Lamor Whitehead faced legal problems. He was accused of using other people's information without their permission to get loans and buy expensive cars. Police found that he was involved in a large operation that used false identities to get over $2 million in loans and buy vehicles. More than 50 people from different states were affected.

Whitehead was charged with several counts of using false identities and was found guilty in 2008. He spent five years in Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a prison, and was released in 2013.

He also had a problem with a loan he took out in 2005 from a conductor named Maximo Bragado-Darman. Whitehead promised to pay back the loan quickly with extra money, but he didn't. He was sued in 2008 and ordered to pay back a large amount of money.

Robbery During a Live Service

In July 2022, Lamor Whitehead and his wife were robbed at gunpoint. This happened while he was leading a church service at his Leaders of Tomorrow International Church in Brooklyn, and the service was being streamed live online. The thieves reportedly took valuable jewelry, including a chain and a Rolex watch.

Later that year, two men were arrested and charged with the robbery. After the event, Whitehead sued a local radio host for $50 million, saying that the host had spread false information about him during her show.

Fraud Conviction in 2024

In 2021, a former member of Whitehead's church sued him. She claimed that he had tricked her out of $90,000. She said that in 2020, Whitehead promised to help her improve her credit and buy and fix up a house if she invested $90,000. She also claimed he later told her the money was a "campaign contribution" and he didn't have to pay it back.

Whitehead denied these claims in court. He was found guilty and sent to jail in May 2024. On June 17, 2024, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.

He had also sued a comedian named Tasha K for saying he committed fraud. However, the judge decided that the comedian was telling the truth and dismissed the case.

Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches

Lamor Whitehead started the Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches in March 2014.

Friendship with Eric Adams

Lamor Whitehead and Eric Adams became friends around 2013. When Adams was the Brooklyn Borough President, Whitehead often appeared with him at important events starting in 2016. During Adams's campaign for Borough President, Whitehead made a claim about creating a justice program with the Brooklyn District Attorney that was not true. In 2013, Adams introduced Whitehead at a concert, calling him "my good friend and good brother." Whitehead used this to start a youth program that was later found to be fake.

Whitehead also tried to become the Brooklyn Borough President himself in 2021.

In 2022, it was believed that Whitehead worked with Adams to help a man suspected of a subway shooting turn himself in to the police. Whitehead arrived at the police station in a gray Rolls-Royce.

Personal Life

Lamor Whitehead became known for showing off his wealth in his neighborhood of Canarsie, which is usually a modest area. He owns many expensive clothes and often drives a Rolls-Royce around New York.

Whitehead is married to Asia DosReis-Whitehead, and they have three children. In 2015, his wife, Asia, was diagnosed with a serious illness called Guillain-Barre syndrome and spent many months in the hospital. After she recovered, she started a non-profit organization called UaReACHAMPION Empowerment Network.

Whitehead is also a cousin of the musician Foxy Brown.

Real Estate

Lamor Whitehead owns a large house in Paramus, New Jersey. The house is very big, with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. He bought it in 2019 for $1.64 million and tried to sell it in 2022 for $2.99 million, which made it the most expensive house listed in that town at the time.

In 2021, Whitehead, through his company Whitehead Estates LLC, bought several apartments in Hartford, Connecticut. He took out a large loan of $4.15 million for this purchase. His property in Connecticut was taken back by the bank on April 29, 2024, and his New Jersey property was taken back on May 31, 2024, because he could not pay his loans.