The Office of the Attorney General obtained a $10.7 million judgment against a Frisco couple who deceived thousands of individuals by pretending to offer "blessings" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to The Texan, LaShonda and Marlon Moore, residents of Frisco, were involved in running a pyramid scheme named "Blessings in No Time" (BINT). Under this scheme, they lured participants by offering to "bless" them with substantial amounts of money in exchange for upfront monetary contributions.
The Moores made promises of returns exceeding 800%, and some participants were charged as high as $62,000 each. To bolster their credibility, they were even featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network's show Family or Fiancé.
Prior to his impeachment, Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was suspended from office, opened the initial lawsuit against the Moores in April 2021 in Collin County.
”The $10.76 million judgment secured by the state of Texas is a critical step toward bringing the Moores to justice for taking advantage of unsuspecting victims, many of whom cited financial distress due to the economic upheaval associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Paxton said in a statement.
According to the complaint, the Moores employ "blessing looms" to entice consumers with false promises of extraordinarily high returns, reaching up to 800%. The operators predominantly targeted African American consumers, portraying it as a community-centered initiative that enables members to achieve various goals, such as covering personal medical expenses or supporting a student's college education. The lawsuit alleges that the majority of participants who invest their hard-earned savings, ranging from $1,400 to as much as $62,700, end up losing money.
The judgment, which was jointly filed by the state of Texas and the defendants, mandates the Moores to contribute up to $2.5 million to a state-administered fund designed to reimburse victims from Texas who were affected by the scam. Additionally, Arkansas and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) pursued their own legal action against the couple.