Brooklyn preacher who boasted of ties to NYC mayor gets 9 years in prison for multiyear fraud

Published

1 year ago

June 20, 2024

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NEW YORK (AP) A flashy Brooklyn preacher who has played up connections to New York Citys mayor was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for multiple frauds.

Lamor Miller-Whitehead, 45, of Paramus, New Jersey, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge Lorna G. Schofield, who said she didnt see meaningful remorse from the Rolls Royce-driving bishop convicted of fleecing one parishioner out of $90,000 in retirement savings, among other scams.

In a rambling statement, Miller-Whitehead claimed he was very remorseful but boasted of his good deeds for his community and expressed regrets about his trial, prompting the judge to interrupt him with a reminder that sentencing isnt a time to relitigate the case.

The jury heard the evidence. The jury rendered its verdict, she said.

In March, a jury convicted Miller-Whitehead of all charges, including wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements. Schofield said the preacher committed perjury when he testified.

She said a significant prison sentence was necessary because there was a high probability that Miller-Whitehead would commit crimes in the future, particularly because previous convictions for similar crimes did not deter him from committing more crimes.

You don’t seem to have an appreciation of the impact of your crimes, Schofield said.

Your honor, I am an honorable man and my children need me, he said as he asked to be spared a prison term and requested to become the poster child of another chance.

Miller-Whitehead developed a friendship with Mayor Eric Adams while Adams served as Brooklyns borough president before his election to the citys top job. Prosecutors contended that Miller-Whitehead used the name of Adams to commit fraud and attempted extortion. Adams was not accused of any wrongdoing in the case.

Miller-Whitehead mentioned Adams during his remarks before the sentence was announced.

Asked about the sentence during an unrelated news briefing Monday, Adams said, Bishop Whitehead is in my prayers and I wish the best for him.

Miller-Whitehead became a religious figure in 2013 when he formed the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries. He was also known to wear designer clothing and was once the victim of a robbery when $1 million in jewelry was stolen from him by gunmen who surprised him during a church service.

Although he preached primarily in Brooklyn, he owned a $1.6 million home in Paramus, New Jersey, and an apartment in Hartford, Connecticut.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wikstrom requested a sentence of over 12 years in prison, saying Miller-Whitehead had defrauded large financial institutions as well as the parishioner who lost her life savings.

He didn’t discriminate. He defrauded everyone,” Wikstrom said.

Miller-Whitehead, Wikstrom said, lied and he stole over and over again.

He can’t stop stealing. He won’t stop lying, the prosecutor said. This is who the defendant is.

Wikstrom said Miller-Whitehead possessed a psychological and delusional failure to accept that he committed crimes and must be punished.

Besides the prison term, Miller-Whitehead also was ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and to forfeit $95,000.

His lawyer, Dawn Florio, had urged no prison time, citing her client’s charitable works and saying you can’t ignore all he has done in the community.

If not for those good works, the judge said, Miller-Whitehead’s prison sentence would have been longer.

Business

Trump reveals Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch could be involved in TikTok deal

Published

31 mins ago

September 22, 2025

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Trump reveals Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch could be involved in TikTok deal

Donald Trump has revealed that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan could be part of a deal in which TikTok in the United States will come under American control.

The US president also namedropped Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, as a possible participant in the deal during an interview with Fox News, which is owned by the Murdochs.

“I think they’re going to be in the group. A couple of others. Really great people, very prominent people,” Mr Trump said. “And they’re also American patriots, you know, they love this country. I think they’re going to do a really good job.”

Mr Trump said that Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of software firm Oracle, was part of the same group. His involvement in the potential TikTok deal had previously been revealed.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday that Oracle would be responsible for the app’s data and security, with Americans set to control six of the seven seats for a planned TikTok board.

This comes after Mr Trump said he and China’s Xi Jinping held a “very productive call” on Friday, discussing the final approval for the TikTok deal, much of which is still unknown.

Once confirmed, the deal should stop TikTok from being banned in the US after lawmakers decided it posed a security risk to citizens’ data.

Officials warned that the algorithm TikTok uses is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to push specific content on the social media platform in a way that is difficult to detect.

Congress had ordered the app shut down for American users by January 2025 if its Chinese owner ByteDance didn’t sell its assets in the country – but the ban has been delayed four times by President Trump.

Mr Trump said on Sunday that he might be “a little prejudiced” about TikTok, after telling reporters on Friday: “I wasn’t a fan of TikTok and then I got to use it and then I became a fan and it helped me win an election in a landslide.”

After the call with Mr Xi, Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post: “We made progress on many very important issues, including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal.”

Mr Trump later told reporters at the White House that Xi had approved the deal, but said it still needed to be signed.

Representatives for the Murdochs, Mr Dell and Mr Ellison have not yet commented on a potential TikTok deal.

Business

Gatwick second runway given green light by government

Published

31 mins ago

September 22, 2025

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Gatwick second runway given green light by government

Gatwick’s second runway has been given the go-ahead by the government.

The northern runway already exists parallel to Gatwick‘s main one, but cannot be used at the same time, as it is too close.

It is currently limited to being a taxiway and is only used for take-offs and landings if the main one has to shut.

The £2.2bn expansion project will see it move 12 metres north so both can operate simultaneously, facilitating 100,000 extra flights a year, 14,000 jobs, and £1bn a year for the economy.

It would also mean the airport could process 75 million passengers a year by the late 2030s.

Gatwick is already the second busiest airport in the UK, and the busiest single runway airport in Europe.

No public money is being used for the expansion plan, which airport bosses say could see the new runway operational by 2029.

The expansion was initially rejected by the Planning Inspectorate over concerns about its provisions for noise prevention and public transport connections.

Campaigners also argued the additional air traffic will be catastrophic for the environment and the local community.

A revised plan was published by the planning authority earlier this year, which it said could be approved by the government if all conditions were met.

The government says it is now satisfied this is the case, with additions made including Gatwick being able to set its own target for passengers who travel to the airport by public transport – instead of a statutory one.

Nearby residents affected by noise will also be able to charge the airport for the cost of triple-glazed windows.

And people who live directly under the flight path who choose to sell their homes could have their stamp duty and estate agent fees paid for up to 1% of the purchase price.

CAGNE, an aviation and environmental group in Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, says it still has concerns about noise, housing provision, and wastewaster treatment.

The group says it will lodge a judicial review, which will be funded by local residents and environmental organisations.

‘Disaster for the climate crisis’

Green Party leader Zack Polanski criticised the second runway decision, posting on X: “Aviation expansion is a disaster for the climate crisis.

“Anyone who’s been paying any attention to this shambles of a Labour Govenrment (sic) knows they don’t care about people in poverty, don’t care about nature nor for the planet. Just big business & their own interests.”

Friends of the Earth claimed the economic case for the airport expansion has been “massively overstated”.

Head of campaigns Rosie Downes warned: “If we’re to meet our legally-binding climate targets, today’s decision also makes it much harder for the government to approve expansion at Heathrow.”

Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden welcomed the decision but said it “should have been made months ago”, claiming Labour have “dithered and delayed at every turn”.

“Now that Gatwick’s second runway has been approved, it’s crucial Labour ensures this infrastructure helps drive the economic growth our country needs,” he said.

A government source told Sky News the second runway is a “no-brainer for growth”.

“The transport secretary has cleared Gatwick expansion for take-off,” they said. “It is possible that planes could be taking off from a new full runway at Gatwick before the next general election.

“Any airport expansion must be delivered in line with our legally binding climate change commitments and meet strict environmental requirements.”

Technology

Apple-supplier Luxshare shares pop 10% on report of OpenAI hardware deal

Published

2 hours ago

September 22, 2025

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Apple-supplier Luxshare shares pop 10% on report of OpenAI hardware deal

In this photo illustration, the Luxshare Precision company logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen.

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Shenzhen-listed Luxshare saw its shares jump about 10% on Monday, following a report that the Chinese device assembler had signed a deal with OpenAI to produce a consumer AI device.

The company, which is also a supplier for Apple, is already developing a prototype of the device using ChatGPT large language models, The Information reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

One source said that one of the products OpenAI has talked to suppliers about making would resemble a smart speaker without a display, which could put it in competition with Apple devices using Siri, with the company targeting late 2026 or early 2027 for its first device launches.

Luxshare’s 10% jump brought its year-to-date gains to about 50%. Most stocks on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange aren’t allowed to trade up or down more than 10% in a single day, relative to the previous day’s closing price. The company is also reportedly considering a secondary listing in Hong Kong this year.

Luxshare and OpenAI did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on path to profitability: Willing to run at a loss to focus on growth

OpenAI has long been signaling a desire to push into dedicated AI devices, presenting a potential challenge to Apple and its iPhone.

As part of these plans, The Information reported that OpenAI has been poaching staff from Apple to join its hardware division, now led by ex-Apple executive Tang Tan.

Earlier this year, the AI company, headed by Sam Altman, partnered with former Apple designer Jony Ive after buying his hardware startup, io Products, in a $6.4 billion deal. Ive is responsible for designing many of Apple’s most iconic products, including the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air.

An OpenAI partnership with Luxshare would bring Apple’s longtime supplier — responsible for assembling items like the AirPods and Vision Pro — into the AI comapny’s orbit.

The AI company has also approached China-based Goertek, which also assembles AirPods, HomePods and Apple Watches, to provide components, including speaker modules, for its planned devices, according to the Information report.

OpenAI has been pushing deeper into hardware, hiring the former head of Meta’s Orion augmented reality glasses initiative in November to lead its robotics and consumer hardware efforts.

In the same month, OpenAI invested in robot startup Physical Intelligence, which focuses on “bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world,” according to its website.