NYC Pastor Robbed In Jewelry Heist Blasts Media From Golden Lectern

NEW YORK CITY — From a golden lectern, Bishop Lamor Whitehead had three words to describe his treatment from the media after gunmen robbed him of expensive jewelry during a church service: "It's not fair."

Whitehead on Friday held a news conference outside his Leaders of Tomorrow Church in Canarsie during which he accused tabloids of racism, recounted a recent phone call from Mayor Eric Adams, and called for a new law allowing pastors to get firearm permits.

“The leading story around the world is Bishop Whitehead,” said Bishop Whitehead.

Whitehead also said media outlets and other critics were blasting him and overlooking the good work he does for his community, which he said included Christmas toy drives and spending $25,000 to feed 30 families last Thanksgiving.

"My community work speak for itself," he said. "I am the biggest pastor in New York City of my giveaways."

A post shared by Lamor M Whitehead (@iambishopwhitehead)

The news coverage in question stemmed from a mid-sermon jewelry heist caught Sunday that involved Whitehead, three masked and armed robbers, and a live-stream, according to police and video.

Whitehead, 44, attracted significant media attention, in part because the pastor recently took part in a bizarre and ultimately unsuccessful plan to deliver a subway attack suspect directly to the mayor.

The church heist also raised eyebrows because NYPD officials said Whitehead and his wife had been robbed of $400,000 worth of jewelry — a figure authorities later revised to $1 million.

Whitehead, during the news conference, claimed both figures were inaccurate. When a reporter pointed out NYPD officials had released those values, he refused to elaborate further.

“My legal team told me not to get into the value of any property,” he said.

Within a few breaths, Whitehead claimed he gave away more to the community than any pastor in New York City and also defended his ostentatious clothing.

“Fendi, Louis or Gucci,” Whitehead said. "Why can’t we wear that in church?"

The pastor also refused to directly respond to a September lawsuit from a former congregant who claimed he swindled her out of $90,000. All Whitehead would say was, "We gained a victory today.”

“I can’t get into the reality of this litigious claim against me,” he said.

Court records show a judge denied a motion for default judgment against him. The case is still ongoing.

Whitehead decried coverage that cast him as the "bling bling bishop" with a criminal record.

“The media, for some reason, you portray Black men as criminals,” Whitehead said. “Everybody wanted to talk about the bling bling bishop that the media portrayed."

He said the media and lawmakers should acknowledge what he claimed was the first such violent incident in a New York City church.

"I want to call on the governor, I want to call on the mayor, I want to call on the Congress, the Council and the Assembly — they need to pass a law expeditiously that pastors of houses of worship and anyone under the ecclesiastical staff need to be able to have permits for firearms," he said.

Whitehead also said pastors with criminal records should be "exempt" and allowed to have firearms permits.

And when a reporter asked Whitehead — who described himself as a "mentee" of Adams — if he recently spoke to the mayor, he said he did.

Said Whitehead, “He just encouraged me to keep my head strong."