Flashy Brooklyn pastor and his wife robbed of more than 1 million in jewelry while preaching, NYPD says
Flashy Brooklyn pastor and his wife robbed of more than 1 million in jewelry while preaching, NYPD says: A showy preacher in Brooklyn who is renowned for wearing fancy dresses and extravagant jewelry was stolen together with his wife of more than $1 million while he was preaching at church on Sunday, according to the police. The heist occurred when the pastor was in the middle of his sermon.
According to the reports filed by the police, three men entered the Leaders of Tomorrow church on Sunday while armed and stole the jewelry that the pastor, Lamor Miller-Whitehead, also known as Bishop, and his wife were wearing at the time.
A portion of the incident was recorded on camera from within the church, where it took place. CNN station WCBS was able to grab a section of the live stream before it was taken down, and in it, at least one of the perpetrators can be seen pointing a gun to the pastor’s head while also interrupting the pastor’s sermon.
In the video, Whitehead can be heard saying, “All right, all right, all right,” as he raises his hands above his head and then lowers himself to the ground.
However, Whitehead explained what took place to WCBS in spite of the fact that the video is no longer viewable on the church’s Livestream.
“That, which translates as “all okay, all right, all right,” is pretty much indicating that I don’t want, and I’m not going to do anything, right, because I know that y’all are coming for me and that y’all are coming straight to me. I pray that none of my congregants would become ill “he stated.
“There were also several children and ladies there. As I was getting down, one of them went to my wife and stole all of her jewelry while also holding the gun in front of my eight-month-old baby’s face. As I was getting up, the other one slipped away “He proceeded further.
“Took off my bishop’s ring, my wedding band, and took off my bishop chain, and then I had chains underneath my robe, and he starts tapping my neck to see if (there was) anything else — so that means that they knew, they watched, and they knew that I have other jewelry,” he said. “Took off my bishop’s chain, my wedding band, and took off my bishop chain.”
According to Whitehead, there were also gunmen armed with firearms who had their weapons raised to deacons at the entrance. According to the authorities, there were approximately 20 to 25 members of the congregation present.
Whitehead stated that his church had experienced “trauma.”
The perpetrators are alleged to have made their getaway on foot after stealing jewels valued at over one million dollars, according to the NYPD. The individuals then got into a white Mercedes-Benz and were last seen driving eastbound on Avenue D, according to the police.
Pastor highlights ties to Mayor Eric Adams
Whitehead received a certificate in Ministry in Human Services from the Theological Institution of Rising Hope Inc. after completing his studies at the New York Theological Seminary, as stated in his bio. Whitehead also attended the New York Theological Seminary. It highlights his credentials as a licensed chaplain in the state of New York as well as an officiant who is authorized to perform weddings and funerals.
According to his bio, he established the Leaders of Tomorrow Ministry in Brooklyn in the year 2013.
His church bio also mentions that Eric Adams, a former president of the Brooklyn Borough and the current mayor of New York City, “adopted him as a mentee” and “took him under his wing.”
Adams stated in a statement, “No one in this community should be the victim of an armed robbery, let alone our spiritual leaders and congregations worshipping in a House of God.” “An investigation into this crime is currently being conducted by the NYPD, and we will do all in our power to bring those responsible to justice.”
Whitehead urged those involved to cooperate with law enforcement and turn themselves up.
He added, “I forgive you, and you know that I’m praying for you, and I hope that God releases you from the mindset of who you are at this moment.” “I forgive you and I’m praying for you, you know.”
Whitehead and his church have not responded to requests for comment after multiple attempts.
In June, the preacher made headlines when he revealed that he had been involved in trying to negotiate the surrender of a guy who is accused of shooting and killing a Goldman Sachs employee while he was riding the subway in New York City. In the end, the individual was taken into custody by the police before he could willingly surrender.
The verified Instagram account of Whitehead details his ostentatious displays of wealth, such as wearing clothes embossed with the Louis Vuitton brand, wearing significant amounts of jewelry, and driving expensive cars. In a video that was posted on Sunday night, he responded angrily to the headlines in the media that had referred to him as “flashy.”
“It’s not about me showing off or anything like that. Essentially, it comes down to me buying the things that I want to buy “he remarked. “It is well within my right to buy whatever it is that I have my heart set on buying. If I put in the effort, I should be able to buy whatever it is that I want to buy.”