A showy pastor who was in the middle of delivering his sermon and his wife were robbed at gunpoint of more than $1 million worth of jewelry at a Brooklyn church on Sunday.Lamor M. Whitehead, 44, a bishop at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in the southeastern Brooklyn neighborhood of Canarsie, [called] it an example of "how the devil moves."
"The devil don't care; he sent them," Mr. Whitehead said. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. [...]
He described lying on the ground with a gun pointed at him and subsequently being stripped of belongings, including his watch, multiple chains, wedding band and bishop's cross. He said the assailants wrenched off his clergy collar to reach his necklaces. Jewelry was also taken from Mr. Whitehead's 38-year-old wife, the police said, adding that neither of the victims was injured. [...]
Mr. Whitehead also responded to criticism calling him "flashy" for his accessories and his Rolls-Royce. "It's about me purchasing what I want to purchase," Mr. Whitehead said. "It's my prerogative to purchase what I want to purchase if I worked hard for it."
Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously.
I presume, like the Bishop of Digne, he informed the would-be thief he was not in fact stealing, but rather being given a gift and that he should use the money to become an honest man. No?
Nothing a few prayers can't set straight.....
This is the most potboiler Chester Himes robbery ever.
And I mean that in an awesome way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/nyregion/lamor-whitehead-bishop-robbed.html
More info has come to light.
Am I the only person who thinks this is an insurance scam? That the bishop hired the "robbers", made sure it was filmed, and they got away cleanly?
Signs point to 'yes': "The 44-year-old formed Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in 2013, after serving a five-year prison sentence for identity theft and grand larceny. He says he was illegally convicted."
Kicker is he was apparently delivering a sermon about "keeping faith in the face of grave adversity".
"... to purchase what I want to purchase if I worked hard for it."
I'm sure the people who gave him the money worked hard while they were earning it. How hard he worked to get them to fork it over? Well, I have doubts.
Pretty sure this is the son of the preacher from the movie Angel Heart