A Dallas police lieutenant was fired last week over his alleged involvement with a pyramid scheme.
Lieutenant Giovanni Wells “was terminated for engaging in adverse conduct when participating in a pyramid promotional scheme,” according to a statement sent to The Dallas Express by Dallas Police Department (DPD) spokesperson Kristin Lowman.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia terminated Wells during a disciplinary hearing on Thursday.
“This is the first officer to have been disciplined for engaging in adverse conduct when participating in a pyramid promotional scheme,” the DPD statement read. “No other officer disciplinary hearings regarding participating in a pyramid promotional scheme have been heard at this time.”
Chief Garcia did not comment further on the termination and simply said that the “discipline speaks for itself,” per The Dallas Morning News.
The department previously alleged that at least a dozen other DPD employees were involved with the scheme in a memo obtained by The Dallas Morning News in August 2021.
At least three other DPD employees are under criminal investigation for their alleged involvement, The Dallas Morning News recently reported.
The police opened an investigation into the scheme in 2020.
In 2021, Dallas police said that Officer Reginald Jones, 58, was accused of organizing the pyramid scheme, which he called a “blessing circle.”
The department was notified that Jones was “recruiting individuals to pay money to participants and then recruit new participants in order to receive money in return,” according to an arrest warrant affidavit, per Fox 4.
Jones reportedly said participants would pay into “$100, $500, or $1,400 ‘gifting circles’ through Cash App.”
New participants were acquired through promises of “blessings” from eight people if they were able to “bring in” two new participants.
The following officers were placed on leave in 2021 for their alleged involvement with the scheme:
- Maj. David Davis
- Officer Anthony Edmond
- Officer Reginald Jones
- Sgt. Constance Lewis
- Officer Paul Logan
- Sr. Cpl. Pearl McDowell
- Sgt. Latasha Moore
- Sgt. Rachel Moore
- Officer Carlton Nelson
- Sr. Cpl. Raquel Oliver
- Sr. Cpl. Aaron Rucker
- Lt. Giovanni Wells
- Sgt. Jennifer Wells
Last Thursday, Garcia also terminated another DPD employee over criminal allegations.
“Manager Azra Habibija … was terminated for driving a vehicle while intoxicated and for being arrested for DWI by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department,” Dallas Police Department spokesperson Kristin Lowman said in a statement sent to The Dallas Express.