Suspects nabbed for caught-on-camera mid-sermon robbery of flashy Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead
Authorities busted two suspects early Wednesday for the wild caught-on-camera armed hold-up of blinged-out Bishop Lamor Whitehead during his Sunday sermon two months ago, with the high-profile clergyman cheering the clearing of his name.
The fugitive defendants, both 23 and arrested in their Brooklyn homes, now face federal robbery charges for pulling guns on Whitehead, his wife and their child in the headline-making heist inside a rented-out Canarsie workspace that doubles as his church, prosecutors said.
The bishop, who became the target of speculation that the heist was staged, sat in the second row at Brooklyn Federal Court for the first appearances by his alleged assailants.
“This was turned around from me being a victim, to a villain, and today, you know, God gave me and my family a victory,” he said afterward. “Because the tabloids and everybody has been talking about the narrative of the ‘bling-bling’ pastor, and he had to have something to do with it.”
The suspects were identified by authorities as Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack, while the search continues for a third man in the bizarre robbery where the bandits made off with $1,000,000 in jewelry lifted from Whitehead and his spouse — who was holding the couple’s daughter when robbed by one of the gun-toting men, officials said.
“I’m extremely happy,” Whitehead told the Daily News prior to the hearing. “My wife was crying when she heard the news. We’re waiting for the last one to be arrested so we can move on with our life.”
Whitehead reiterated he didn’t know either man, and never saw them before they marched onto the altar during Sunday services. He earlier posted a video message about the arrests on Facebook, with the dapper Whitehead wearing a pink track suit, matching pink glasses and a pink Yankees cap.
“The last two months were hell,” Whitehead told The News. “It’s a new beginning.”
A source with knowledge of the investigation told The News there was no indication Whitehead played any part in the robbery. Police believed the crooks were strangers and targeted the bishop and his wife because they knew he often wore expensive jewelry in the pulpit, the source added.
The couple’s daughter was sitting on the wife’s lap during the robbery where her jewelry was also snatched, with the bandits double-checking Whitehead to make sure all his bling was gone before fleeing, according to Brooklyn federal prosecutors.
“As alleged, the defendants brought guns into a place of worship, stealing from two members of the clergy and terrifying the congregation,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace after the joint probe by the NYPD and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The suspects were tracked down using video and “electronic tracking,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig. And Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes said at the hearing that both defendants were already engaged in plea negotiations.
Whitehead was preaching at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry on Remsen Ave. near Avenue D about 11:15 a.m. on July 24 when three masked bandits stormed into the church, video shows. Whitehead stopped his sermon and crouched down, saying, “Yo, all right, all right, all right” as he lay on the floor.
The Rolls-Royce-driving bishop, in the middle of his weekly Sunday morning service, was seen on video lying down on the floor, with only his legs and feet visible as the men bent down to rifle his pockets before fleeing in a white Mercedes-Benz.
Whitehead filed a pair of $20 million lawsuits earlier this month against his social media critics, including one who insisted the robbery was not what it appeared.
The bishop “is wearing the same jewelry that (he) got robbed in,” defendant DeMario Q. Jives alleged on his YouTube channel.
Defendant Pollock was held without bail pending an Oct. 28 court date, while Anderson’s mother, aunt and a family friend put up $50,000 bond for his release.
Pollock’s rap sheet included a 2016 armed robbery that landed him behind bars for five years, court papers indicated. Once released last year, he was convicted for possession of a forged instrument and wanted for providing false identification after an arrest for marijuana possession.
According to Essig, Anderson had a prior arrest for domestic violence.
Whitehead was handcuffed earlier this month following another Sunday sermon after he grabbed a woman he claimed was threatening his family. He was ultimately let go without any charges.
The woman, Tarsha Howard was charged with trespassing and disrupting a religious service. Howard claimed she was there to research a book she is writing on the role of churches in the Black community.