• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Bishop Robbed Of Over $1 Million In Jewellery Heist During Live-Streamed Sermon

Home> News

Published 15:40 25 Jul 2022 GMT+1

Bishop Robbed Of Over $1 Million In Jewellery Heist During Live-Streamed Sermon

A bishop who was live streaming his sermon was robbed by armed gunmen who took jewellery worth more than $1 million.

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

A bishop who was live-streaming a sermon was caught up in a robbery in which armed thieves took more than $1 million worth of jewellery from him.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead was giving a sermon at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries church in Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York when a trio of gunmen stormed in.

The New York Police Department confirmed that the robbery, which took place at around 11.14am on 24 July, saw the three armed robbers make off with more than $1 million in goods stolen from Bishop Whitehead and his wife.


Police said the three robbers 'displayed firearms and demanded property' from the 44-year-old pastor and his 38-year-old spouse.

Advert

They then took jewellery which had a total value of $1 million from the couple before making their escape from the church on foot.

Officers say the robbers continued their escape when they got into a white Mercedes Benz and were last seen traveling east on Avenue D, Manhattan.

Neither bishop Whitehead nor his wife were injured in the armed robbery and the police investigation is still ongoing.

In the livestream, Whitehead can be seen to say 'alright, alright' when the armed trio burst in, quickly getting down on his hands and knees as masked men pass by the camera.

Advert

The footage later showed one of the robbers holding a gun on Whitehead as he is lying down.

Posting to Instagram to speak in the aftermath of the robbery, Whitehead said the robbers took all of his wife's jewellery, his bishop's ring, wedding ring and bishop's chain.

He said: "I said, 'Alright, alright, alright,' pretty much stating that I'm not going to do anything because I know you're coming for me. You're coming straight to me.

Advert

"I don't want my parishioners hurt. I've got women and children there. As I got down, one went to my wife and took all her jewellery and had the gun in front of my 8-month-old baby's face."

The bishop believes he was specifically targeted, saying 'they knew' where to search him for his valuables as when they had him down on the ground they started 'tapping my neck'.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead and his wife were robbed of over $1 million in jewellery.
Alamy

The bishop also said what the cameras didn't pick up was around 100 other people in the room listening to his sermon who were also held at gunpoint, including training their 'guns on my deacons'.

Advert

He also said he tried to chase the suspects after they left the building with he and his wife's belongings.

Whitehead said his church was 'traumatised' after the armed robbers burst in and stole his valuables at gunpoint, and that his daughter was 'not even talking'.

He said he hoped the trio of armed robbers would turn themselves over to the authorities.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected] 

Featured Image Credit: Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries

Topics: US News, Crime, New York

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Contents revealed of backpack believed to belong to UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer
  • CEO of backpack brand faces intense backlash following reports he told police Luigi Mangione was wearing company's bag
  • Grown man caught live on TV doing controversial act to child during US Open now identified
  • People are just discovering what top of Statue of Liberty looks like as view's been closed for over 100 years

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
7 hours ago
8 hours ago
  • Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesChip Somodevilla/Getty Images
    6 hours ago

    Charlie Kirk dies aged 31 following shooting at debate event in Utah

    Charlie Kirk has died after a fatal shooting in Utah

    News
  • NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images
    7 hours ago

    Trump breaks silence as police confirm ally Charlie Kirk has been shot at debate event in Utah

    Donald Trump has addressed Charlie Kirk's shooting

    News
  • Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesAndrew Harnik/Getty Images
    7 hours ago

    Ally of President Trump Charlie Kirk shot at debate event in Utah, police confirm

    The shooting took place at Utah Valley University in Orem

    News

    breaking

  • Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael M. Santiago/Getty Images
    8 hours ago

    Kamala Harris savagely calls out Biden’s ‘reckless' decision to run for second term in new memoir

    "This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego"

    News