By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Aug 9 - In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on the morning of December 19, 2022 the talk was of flashy pastor Lamor Whitehead, set to be presented in the afternoon.
Inner City Press was present, the only media in the Mag Court in the morning for three procedings. Related Mag Court live-tweeted thread (more on Patreon here) vlog here
Lamor Whitehead was found guilty by the jury on March 11, 2024, see below.
On March 25, Whitehead's counsel filed motions for acquittal, including disputing which Federal Reserve Bank was used for purposes of venue, and/or for a new trial.
On February 26, 2024 the trial started and Inner City Press live tweeted opening arguments, here
On February 27, Pauline Anderson testified and cried. Inner City Press live tweeted, here
On February 28, Rasheed Anderson was on the stand - then after the jury left, scheduling - including witness who will introduce Eric Adams' communications - was discussed.
On February 29: "ORDER as to Lamor Whitehead. It is hereby ORDERED that the Brandon Belmonte shall testify outside the presence of the jury at 9:00 A.M. on March 5."
Inner City Press went, and saw Belmonte take the 5th to every question, including about Eric Adams.
And a guilty verdict: "Jury reached a verdict. Defendant found GUILTY on Counts 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s. PSR Ordered. Defendants sentencing submission shall be filed by 6/10/2024. The Governments sentencing submission shall be filed by 06/17/2024. The parties shall appear for a sentencing hearing on 07/01/2024 at 11:00 am"
But on May 1, 2024, Judge Schofield docketed an email she endorsed with concern, and the US Attorney's Office put in a letter alleged misuse of discovery material, asking for remand to jail.
More on Substack here
and on X for Subscribers here
Judge Schofield moved the remand hearing up to May 13. On May 6, Whitehead's counsel wrote it to say it was all protected by the First Amendment. Filing on Patreon here
On May 9, the US Attorney's Office withdrew one of its grounds to request remand - no direct threat to the Andersons - but put in more quotes from Whitehead's Instagram: "But even if the Andersons have not received threats, the defendant has certainly taken steps to create risks to them. filing on Patreon here.
Docketed on May 10, a letter dated May 9 from Whitehead to Judge Schofield to please not remand him, for the sake of his family and church. He says he didn't know he couldn't show / flash the document on YouTube, saying it was already public. Whitehead's letter on Patreon here
On May 20, Whitehead was ordered remanded to jail: "Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Lorna G. Schofield: Bond Revocation Hearing as to Lamor Whitehead held on 5/20/2024. Defendant present with attorneys Dawn Florio and Declan Murray. AUSAs Jessica Greenwood and Jane Kim present for the Government. Defendant remanded."
On June 3, Whitehead's lawyers wrote and and asked for a sentencing of supervised release.
The US Attorney's Office countered asking for 151 months.
On June 11, the US Attorney's Office filed the victim impact letter of Rasheed Anderson, about how his mother was defrauded out of $90,000 by Whitehead, and spent $50,000 trying to recoup it. "Almost four years have been lost."
On June 14, the business day before sentencing, Judge Schofield requested "all warrant affidavits that reference the May 5 recording in a single, text-searchable, bookmarked PDF as soon as practicable and no later than June 15, 2024" at noon. The May 5 recording, the defense says, was made and withheld by Brandon Belmonte for 19 days, and, they say, Special Agent Thomas Ford falsely claimed the FBI recorded it.
On June 17, Inner City Press thread:
Judge Schofield: Some congregants praise you, but you have engaged in fraud year after year. US asks for 151 months: your lawyers ask for time served. I don't think the guidelines are very helpful here. Significant incarceration is called for
Judge: Please rise. I sentence you to 108 months in prison, no drug testing
Defense: I'd like my client released before return to prison, Otisville requested. My client cannot afford to appeal right now, but we will file notice of appeal.
Judge: I deny bail pending appeal
On June 21 in a 32-page order Judge Schofield denied Whitehead's motion for a judgment of acquittal and a new trial, stating "Defendant argues that “[t]he only way the Jury could have [convicted] is if the Jury took Brandon Belmonte’s statements for their truth . . . .” However, a reasonable jury could find Defendant guilty of Count 2 by crediting Defendant’s own statements representing his influence with the mayor described above, without relying on the truth of Mr. Belmonte’s statements, which the jury was expressly instructed not to do." Full order on Patreon here
On August 9, Judge Schofield approved Whitehead's handwritten application for financial support to appeal in forma pauperis, in which he declared zero income or assets - surprising to some - but here it is: "MEMO ENDORSEMENT as to Lamor Whitehead (1) granting [237] MOTION for Leave to Appeal In Forma Pauperis. ENDORSEMENT: Application Granted. The Clerk of the Court is directed to terminate the letter motion at docket number 237. (Signed by Judge Lorna G. Schofield on 8/9/2024)."
In EDNY, Inner City Press reported on Whitehead appearing in the Mag Court there for two defendants who robbed him of expensive watched as he preached.
On January 12, 2024, the US Attorney's Office filed a motion in limine including as "examples of trial evidence" quotes from Whitehead to Victim-2 that "I'll deal with the Mayor's Office.. But we gotta have ownership. I gotta be able to say, 'Yo, yo [nickname for the Official], I own this. This is what's goin on."
The case is US v. Whitehead, 22-cr-692 (Schofield)
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