Texas couple sentenced to 40 years for $30 million pandemic pyramid scheme

FRISCO, Texas - A Texas couple was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years each in federal prison for operating a fraudulent chain-referral pyramid scheme that prosecutors said cheated more than 10,000 people nationwide out of more than $30 million during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID scheme

What we know:

LaShonda Moore, 38, and Marlon Moore, 39, of Frisco, were convicted by a jury in January 2026 on conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering charges stemming from their operation of "Blessings in No Time," or BINT, an illegal pyramid scheme that ran from June 2020 to June 2021.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Moores launched BINT during the pandemic and recruited participants through weekly livestream broadcasts viewed by thousands of people across the United States during COVID-19 shutdowns.

False promises

What they're saying:

Prosecutors said the scheme falsely promised participants an 800% return on a $1,400 investment and guaranteed refunds to dissatisfied members. The Moores promoted BINT as an invitation-only community designed to help people facing financial hardship during the pandemic by making "blessing" payments to existing members.

"At the peak of the pandemic, LaShonda and Marlon Moore launched an investment fraud scheme and cheated struggling Americans out of $30 million," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "This fraud scheme exploited people out of their hard-earned money at a time when they needed it most. Opportunistic fraudsters like the Moores belong in prison."

Authorities said BINT operated through so-called "playing boards" consisting of four participant levels: eight Fires, four Winds, two Earths and one Water. Participants in the Fire positions were directed to pay at least $1,400 to the person occupying the Water position. Once a Water participant received eight payments totaling more than $11,000, other members moved up the board and were required to recruit additional participants to continue the cycle.

Prosecutors said the Moores positioned themselves on the boards to receive many of the payments and diverted substantial amounts of participant money to themselves.

"The Moores’ get-rich quick scheme has earned them a well-deserved stay in federal prison," said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. "Playing games with other peoples’ money while promising unrealistic returns is stealing and will be prosecuted and punished."

Investigators said the scheme victimized more than 10,000 people across the country and caused more than $30 million in losses.

"The harm caused by greed-driven, deceptive investments promising returns too good to be true cannot be overstated," said Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. "The mission of the USPIS continues to aggressively investigate such schemes and hold fraudsters fully accountable."

Christina Foley, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office, said the defendants exploited people during a period of widespread uncertainty.

"The Moores took advantage of trust and hope during a time of national crisis, causing significant harm to thousands of victims," Foley said. "Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: the Secret Service remains steadfast in our mission to investigate and disrupt these schemes, and those who prey on vulnerable communities for personal gain will be held fully accountable."

Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office, said the couple used a polished public image and a reality television appearance to build credibility for the operation.

"The Moores used a polished image and a reality TV appearance to build trust, but behind the scenes, they orchestrated a deceptive pyramid scheme built on fake ‘playing boards’ and false promises of 800% returns," Altemus said. "This scheme deliberately targeted the African American community, exploiting cultural trust and community ties."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

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