Sister of alleged kingpin pleads guilty in $300M telemarketing fraud scheme

The sister of one of the alleged kingpins in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme pleaded guilty Friday morning.

In a virtual hearing in federal court, 62-year-old Rhonda Jean Moulder, from Cape Coral, Fla., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

She’s one of five dozen people who were charged in 2020 with defrauding thousands of people out of money. In total, prosecutors say more than 125,000 people across the country were defrauded of more than $300 million through their scheme.

Moulder’s brother, David John Moulder, of Prior Lake, is one of the alleged kingpins. Prosecutors say he was one of the people who owned several companies and provided lists of consumers with ongoing magazine subscriptions to companies involved in fraudulent sales. Those companies then used fraudulent sales scripts for their telemarketers to trick victims into signing up for more expensive subscriptions.

Rhonda Moulder was among the managers for those call centers and trained the telemarketers to use the fraudulent sales scripts. Prosecutors say she’s responsible for defrauding victims of more than $86 million.

At a maximum, Rhonda Moulder was facing 30 years in prison for the charges. However, instead of going to trial in January, Rhonda Moulder changed her plea Friday.

Under the plea deal she accepted, Rhonda Moulder is likely to be sentenced to between 15 and 19 years in federal prison and pay $100,000 in restitution. A judge will ultimately decide on her exact sentence.

Her sentencing date hasn’t yet been set.

Several others pleaded guilty in connection to the case last year. Those who haven’t pleaded guilty are set to face trial in January.