The U.S. Department of Justice announced that LaShonda Moore and Marlon Moore of Frisco, Texas, were each sentenced to 40 years in prison after a jury convicted them in January 2026 of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering for operating Blessings in No Time, an illegal chain-referral pyramid scheme. The scheme ran from June 2020 to June 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and caused more than USD 30 million in losses to more than 10,000 victims across the United States. According to court documents and trial evidence, the Moores recruited victims through weekly livestreams that promised 800% returns on payments of at least USD 1,400 and guaranteed refunds for dissatisfied participants. The scheme used multi-level "playing boards" in which new recruits funded payouts to earlier participants, while the defendants placed themselves in positions to receive many of the payments and diverted substantial participant funds to themselves. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
U.S. Department of Justice2026-06-10
U.S. Department of Justice announces 40 year prison sentences for Texas couple behind USD 30 million chain referral pyramid scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice reported that LaShonda and Marlon Moore were each sentenced to 40 years in prison for conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with “Blessings in No Time,” an illegal chain-referral pyramid scheme. The scheme operated from June 2020 to June 2021, promised returns of up to 800% on payments of at least USD 1,400, and caused more than USD 30 million in losses to over 10,000 victims across the United States.