Robber sentenced for stealing $400K in jewelry from NYC 'Bling Bishop' during service
A man who assisted in the armed robbery of over $400,000 in jewelry from New York City "Bling Bishop" Lamor Whitehead during one of his services will go to prison for over seven years for his participation.
Twenty-five-year-old Say-Quan Pollack received the sentence in connection with the armed robbery while Whitehead was leading a service at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Brooklyn on July 24, 2022.
Pollack, joined by two other men, Juwan Anderson and Shamar Leggette, reportedly robbed the 46-year-old pastor during a live-streamed church service.
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In November 2023, Pollack pleaded guilty to one count of federal robbery, a crime which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
"Pollack has been held accountable for committing a bold robbery in a house of worship with a gun, terrorizing the men, women, and children participating in the religious service that Sunday morning," said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace in a statement.
According to prosecutors, the co-conspirators stole more than $400,000 in jewelry from the pastor and his wife and must pay $402,639 in restitution.
Whitehead himself was sentenced to nine years in prison in June for wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements to federal law enforcement agents.
Whitehead was accused of defrauding Pauline Anderson, who used to attend his church. Anderson said she gave retirement savings to Whitehead to aid her in buying a house.
Known as the "Bling Bishop" for his flashy lifestyle, Whitehead allegedly took the roughly $90,000 for his personal use.
The pastor also reportedly tried to coerce a body shop owner to give him $500,000 in exchange for promising him access to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Whitehead previously went to prison for five years for charges involving identity theft and grand larceny. Whitehead was briefly detained by police and not charged in 2022 following an incident where he grabbed a woman who interrupted his sermon at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries and removed her from the church.
Nicole VanDyke is a reporter for The Christian Post.
