A Dallas cop is facing criminal charges for running a pyramid scheme involving several of his coworkers.
Reginald Jones allegedly recruited other Dallas cops and civilian employees to take part in a "blessing circle." It involved participants paying $100, $500, or $1,400 with the promise that they'll get paid even more money than they put in if they recruited others to pay into the "blessing circle."
Jones pulled in $48,000 through CashApp and recruited 159 people. Detectives in the case also found out that Jones was also trying to recruit civilians while on the job, FOX 4 reported.
Jones turned himself into the DeSoto City Police Department after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday, October 1.
A dozen other Dallas officers have not been arrested but placed on administrative leave for their suspected role in the pyramid scheme, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Jones' attorney claims that the officer is innocent and didn't know that what he was doing was illegal.
“Officer Jones, like all the other officers involved in the gifting tree, certainly did not intend to break the law, and had no knowledge that his actions could potentially be interpreted as being illegal,” lawyer Chris Knox said in a statement shared by the Dallas Morning News.
Operating a pyramid scheme is a felony under Texas law, and Jones faces at least six months in jail and a $10,000 if convicted.