Romance scammer? Women say Las Vegas man stole thousands
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Multiple women have accused a Las Vegas man of being a “romance scammer.”
Lydell Birch, 44, also known as “Moka Blast,” has been involved in the music industry and appeared on the reality show “Life After Lockup.”
Multiple women said they met him online, they began dating him, and he would come up with a story about why he needed to borrow money.
In many cases, the women sent him the funds while they were under the impression he would pay them back.
“I say he has no type,” Becky Barnes, an ex-girlfriend told the 8 News Now Investigators. “His type is good credit.”
Barnes said Birch still owes her more than $27,000 after he said he needed money for tires on his car, his electric bill, and funding for business purposes.
“It’s kind of like is this a bad dream, you know?” Barnes said. “You’re like okay, I’m an intelligent woman. I’m strong. I’m not weak. I’m not insecure like a lot of women think, oh, you let this happen to you. No. I’m a businesswoman. I’m very resilient.”
Las Vegas man shot dead during live interview, mother files wrongful death lawsuit
Barnes said she learned Birch was dating other women after a deadly shooting in Las Vegas. Birch shot and killed Lendor Coney, Jr. in April of 2023. Coney’s loved ones described what unfolded as a love triangle gone bad. Coney barged into the home of the woman he had been in an on-again-off-again relationship with while Birch was inside the home. Birch shot and killed him.
Part of the incident was caught on video because it happened while Birch was doing a live interview on YouTube. The Clark County District Attorney’s office considered the shooting to be self-defense.
The woman at the home, Bree Florence told a 911 operator that Birch was her boyfriend.
Another woman who called 911 from Arizona after watching the livestream on YouTube said that Birch was her boyfriend, too.
After the shooting death, Nicolle Leonard, a friend of Coney’s created a Facebook page, “Victims of Lydell (aka Moka Bast) The Serial Scammer.”
“Since he uses the internet and his online profile to get into women’s heads and women’s minds that I was gonna warn the public about him,” Leonard told the 8 News Now Investigators. “It caught fire and there’s just women all over.”
The private Facebook page has more than 3300 members.
Tammy England said she also thought she was in a monogamous relationship with Birch and that he still owes her close to $6,000.
“That’s really embarrassing,” England said. “It’s always been under the premise that he was going to pay me back.”
In California, a woman was awarded a more than $23,000 judgment against Birch in March of 2023 after she said Birch borrowed $20,000 for a business venture, promised to pay it back within six weeks, and didn’t. She said she still has not been paid.
“I literally could name off the top of my head 20 business ventures,” Brynna Malen, an ex-girlfriend told the 8 News Now Investigators. “They were gonna put him in the Black Panther 2. They were gonna hire him as the villain. He was gonna buy a headphone company. Besides the barber shop, he was gonna open another studio. He was gonna do Muay Thai in Thailand. He was gonna be a boxer. He was training to be a heavyweight boxer.”
Malen claimed Birch pulled a gun on her at his home but said she did not report it to police and continued to communicate with Birch.
“I told him I was scared of him and he told me he’d never do it again,” Malen said.
Malen and several other women said Birch attacked them on social media after their relationships took a turn.
England said Birch posted a sexual photo of her.
“Come to find out that he did a lot of videotaping of me without my knowledge,” England said.
England said she made a police report and was initially granted a restraining order but a judge later dismissed it.
“I guess because he didn’t physically harm me they didn’t take it seriously,” England told the 8 News Now Investigators.
Birch has made several social media posts showcasing his weapons which has also raised concerns.
“It terrifies me,” England said.
The 8 News Now Investigators looked into Birch’s criminal history. He was arrested for domestic battery in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2006, according to court documents. The case was later dismissed.
Three business licenses are listed for Birch on the Nevada Secretary of State’s website. Two are in default while one is revoked.
Birch is also linked to two COVID-19 relief loans for small businesses totaling nearly $18,000 for “Forever Getting Cash LLC” and a studio linked to it. One loan and ten jobs are listed. 15 jobs are listed on a second loan.
“He liked to portray himself as a record producer recording studio artist, rapper. No,” England said. “He is a romance scammer. Period.”
The 8 News Now Investigators reached out to Birch to get his side of the story. During a phone call, he used profanity and hung up.
The mother of Len Coney, the man whom Birch killed, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Birch and Florence. The lawsuit alleged that Coney was unaware that Florence was also dating Birch.
Reports of suspected romance scams can be made to the Federal Trade Commission and the Nevada Attorney General’s office.
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