A Texas couple has been punished with long federal sentences after a jury found them guilty of running a nationwide pyramid scheme that siphoned off roughly $30 million and harmed over 10,000 people during the COVID shutdown.
A federal court this week sentenced LaShonda Moore, 38, and Marlon Moore, 39, of Frisco, Texas to 40 years in prison each after juries convicted them in January 2026 on conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering charges. The couple co-founded and operated “Blessings in No Time,” commonly called BINT, which prosecutors say operated like an illegal chain-referral pyramid scheme. Court filings and trial evidence show the scheme ran from June 2020 to June 2021 and grew during pandemic lockdowns.
BINT used weekly livestream broadcasts to recruit thousands of participants nationwide, pitching itself as an invitation-only community that would help neighbors through payments called “blessings.” Organizers told recruits the structure would funnel payments so participants would receive large returns after a short period, and the live videos created a veneer of legitimacy that drew in many during a time of economic uncertainty. Prosecutors highlighted how the shutdown environment amplified trust in online communities and made people more vulnerable to promises of fast relief.
Victims were told a $1,400 payment would generate eightfold returns, and some recruits were promised refunds if they were unhappy with the program. The pitch relied on social pressure and the idea of mutual aid, but the underlying mechanics required a constant stream of new participants to sustain payouts. “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.”
The program used a so-called playing board with four levels labeled Fires, Winds, Earths, and Water to illustrate how money moved through the scheme. Each full board required eight new people to fill the Fire positions, and when those seats filled the Water participant would receive eight payments totaling just over $11,000. After a Water participant was paid, remaining members shifted up a level and needed to recruit replacements to keep the cycle going, a hallmark of classic pyramid structures that cannot survive once recruitment stalls.
Federal prosecutors stressed that the scheme was presented as community assistance while functioning as a profit-driven fraud, and they documented how organizers placed themselves in positions that maximized their take. “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 people’s money while promising unrealistic returns is stealing and will be prosecuted and punished.”
The agencies involved in the investigation emphasized the toll on victims and the determination to pursue those who exploit crises for gain. “The harm caused by greed-driven, deceptive investments promising returns too good to be true cannot be overstated,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. Investigators documented recruitment tactics, financial flows, and testimony from hundreds of victims to show how the money was diverted from participants to the scheme’s operators.
“Those who exploit uncertainty and hardship for personal profit undermine the safety and security of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christina Foley of the U.S. Secret Service Dallas Field Office. “The Moores took advantage of trust and hope during a time of national crisis, causing significant harm to thousands of victims. 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.”
Investigators also called out the marketing tactics that built credibility, including polished public appearances and a reality TV cameo, which masked the underlying fraud. “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,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “This scheme deliberately targeted the African American community, exploiting cultural trust and community ties. These sentences make it clear: if you abuse trust and exploit communities, you will face justice.”
Prosecutors say the defendants placed themselves in strategic board positions to receive disproportionate payments and diverted substantial sums for their own use, leaving more than 10,000 victims nationwide with losses totaling over $30 million. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Theodore Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin Jr. for the Eastern District of Texas.
