A Texas couple who promised huge returns through a pandemic-era “blessing” program has been sentenced to 40 years each in federal prison after prosecutors said more than 10,000 people lost more than $30 million.
LaShonda Moore, 38, and Marlon Moore, 39, of Frisco, Texas, were convicted by a federal jury in January 2026 of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. On June 10, the Justice Department announced that both had received 40-year prison sentences.
The program was called Blessings in No Time, also known as BINT. Prosecutors said it was sold as an invitation-only community that could help people during the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it operated as a fraudulent chain-referral pyramid scheme.
The promised return was the hook: pay at least $1,400 as a “blessing,” recruit others, and receive eight times the money back within weeks. DOJ said the promise was false, and that the Moores positioned themselves to receive many of the final payments while diverting participant money to themselves.
The Program Promised an 800% Return
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, BINT operated from June 2020 to June 2021 and recruited participants through weekly livestream video broadcasts that reached thousands of people across the country.
DOJ said victims were falsely promised 800% returns on each $1,400 payment and were told they could get refunds if they were unsatisfied. The program framed the payments as “blessings” sent within a community, but prosecutors said new participants were needed to keep the money moving.
The Moores also used a polished public image and a reality-TV appearance to build trust, IRS Criminal Investigation said in DOJ’s sentencing announcement. CNBC’s American Greed previously covered the BINT case in an episode titled “Preaching Pyramid Schemes.”
The Boards Needed New People to Keep Paying
BINT used what prosecutors described as “playing boards” with four levels: eight Fires, four Winds, two Earths, and one Water.
People in the Fire positions were directed to pay at least $1,400 to the person in the Water position. Once all eight Fire positions were filled, the Water participant received more than $11,000, and the board split so people below could move upward.
The structure depended on constant recruiting. Participants had to bring in new people to fill the Fire positions, while prosecutors said the Moores placed themselves on boards so they could receive many of the ultimate payments.
Prosecutors Said More Than 10,000 People Lost Money
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The Justice Department said the scheme victimized more than 10,000 people across the United States and caused more than $30 million in losses.
The loss figure was higher than the amount DOJ cited after the January conviction, when prosecutors said the scheme had defrauded more than 10,000 people of more than $25 million. The sentencing announcement put the losses at more than $30 million.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of DOJ’s Criminal Division said the Moores cheated struggling Americans at the peak of the pandemic. U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas described the program as a get-rich-quick scheme built on unrealistic returns.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
A Victim Told NBC DFW She Felt Played
The case also had smaller household losses behind the national numbers. NBC DFW interviewed Rosetta Fleming after the January conviction, and she said she and her husband invested more than $6,000 with the Moores.
Fleming told the station they did not see the program as gambling. She said they believed it could help pay bills and feed their children.
She said she never received a payout or the refund she was promised.
The Criminal Sentence Followed Civil Enforcement
The 40-year sentences followed earlier civil enforcement actions against BINT and the Moores.
In July 2023, the Texas Attorney General announced a $10.76 million final judgment and permanent injunction against BINT Operations LLC and the Moores. The state said BINT deceptively marketed itself as a faith-based wealth-building organization and falsely promised returns as high as 800%.
The Federal Trade Commission also announced in 2023 that the operators of the “blessing loom” program were banned from multi-level marketing as part of enforcement actions brought with Arkansas.
The Justice Department’s victim-notification page lists the criminal case as United States v. LaShonda Moore and Marlon Moore, docket number 4:23-CR-243, in the Eastern District of Texas.