We've been covering the saga of New York's "Bling Bishop" for some time now:
Between being denied gun permits and being unfairly maligned for assaulting women in broad daylight, the guy can't catch a break!
Yet now, finally, a judge has recognized the true worth of this man's contributions to society:
A flamboyant Brooklyn bishop, widely known as the 'Bling Bishop,' was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for financial fraud schemes that included stealing tens of thousands from a parishioner and trying to extort a businessman, federal prosecutors said.
Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead, 45, was convicted in March of two counts of wire fraud, one count of attempted wire fraud, and one count of attempted extortion, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. He was also found guilty of one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement agents.
Wire fraud. Attempted extortion. Lying to federal agents.
These are not the sorts of things that the Feds take lightly.
The man "stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners," the U.S. attorney said. He "stole from his parishioners, attempted to defraud and extort a businessman, and committed loan fraud."
The parishioner fraud was particularly infuriating:
[He] persuaded one of his parishioners to invest about $90,000 of her retirement savings by promising her that he would use the money to help her purchase a home. But instead of aiding her, he spent the money on personal expenses, such as luxury items.
He "lived in a $1.6 million mansion in Paramus, New Jersey," and owned several apartments as well.
Look, I'm not trying to judge anyone ahead of time here, but — quite apart from the absurdly flashy lifestyle this guy led — this sort of thing seems like a bit of a tipoff:
Miller-Whitehead was a bishop at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries church in Canarsie, Brooklyn, which he helped form after serving five years in prison for identity theft and grand larceny.
I kinda feel like you should be a bit wary of a church leader who's done something like that.
I doubt anyone will be putting him in charge of a church when he gets out in a decade, but it is New York!
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