Brooklyn, New York – A high-profile robbery case involving Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead took a dramatic turn with the fatal shooting of suspect Shamar Leggette by U.S. Marshals. This intersects with the bishop’s own legal challenges, as he faces serious accusations beyond being a victim of a $1 million jewelry heist during a 2022 livestreamed sermon. Whitehead, known for his lavish lifestyle as the “Bling Bishop,” leads the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries. The shooting of Leggette concludes a tense manhunt, providing some closure to the robbery case.
The 41-year-old Leggette was on the run for a year before being shot and killed by U.S. Marshals at a New Jersey hotel as they attempted to arrest him. The NYPD had been looking for him since the robbery in which Leggette and two others robbed the bishop, his wife, daughter, and other congregants in the middle of a service.
Whitehead’s relief is tempered by escalating legal troubles, with allegations of fraud and extortion casting a pall over his ministry. A former parishioner accused him of defrauding her out of her life savings, a claim that later became part of a federal indictment against the bishop. He faces charges of lying to the FBI, extorting a businessman out of $5,000, and attempting to swindle him out of a $500,000 loan and a stake in a real estate deal, falsely promising government favors he knew he couldn’t deliver.
The case is set for trial in Manhattan Federal Court in February. Compounding these accusations, federal filings in May revealed that Whitehead allegedly orchestrated an illegal “straw donor scheme” during his failed 2021 campaign to succeed Adams as Brooklyn’s borough president.
Whitehead has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming he was “set up” and specifically blaming Brandon Belmonte, the Bronx businessman he’s accused of extorting. In March, Whitehead filed a lawsuit against Belmonte for libel and slander.
The bishop has remained committed to forgiveness, stating that he forgave Leggette and would eulogize him because he didn’t want his family to feel upset. He also did not rule out a potential future in politics, saying he’s “contemplating on running for office again, to help my community.”