January 18, 2024
Houston Woman Accused Of GoFundMe Scam Over Viral ‘Brick Attack’
Roda Osman, who gained viral attention on social media for claiming she was assaulted with a brick outside a Houston club, is now facing serious allegations of running a GoFundMe scam.
Roda Osman, the woman who gained viral attention on social media for claiming she was assaulted with a brick outside a Houston club, is now facing serious allegations of running a GoFundMe scam. The 33-year-old has been charged with felony theft by deception, accused of raising at least $40,000 through a fraudulent GoFundMe page created in September 2023, where she asserted she was the victim of a similar attack over three years ago.
Houston police responded to Osman’s initial assault claims on Sept. 3, where she reported being attacked with a brick after refusing to give a man her phone number. However, discrepancies arose during the investigation, with Osman allegedly providing conflicting statements.
Charging documents reveal that Osman’s friend, who was present at the scene, contradicted her account, expressing skepticism about the brick assault. Detectives later discovered surveillance footage from the reported incident location, indicating Osman, the friend, and the alleged assailant, Olan Douglas, conversing and entering a club together. The footage contradicted Osman’s version, challenging the narrative of a brick attack. Moreover, Osman’s recorded statement conflicted with the video evidence, revealing inconsistencies in her claims.
The situation took a darker turn when it was revealed that a GoFundMe account had been set up a day after the reported assault, raising a substantial amount by capitalizing on Osman’s claims. The GoFundMe page described Osman as “Woman gets hospitalized after allegedly being hit in the face with a brick by a man she refused to give her number. The alleged incident happened in Houston. She says she was surrounded by men who did absolutely nothing. She says the man got in a car and left the scene after assaulting her and is afraid he will never get caught.” However, TikTok user and mental health advocate Daphne Sutton alerted police to Osman’s potential scam, citing a similar incident in Minneapolis in 2020, where Osman allegedly orchestrated a fraudulent GoFundMe campaign under a similar guise.
As detectives delved into Osman’s past, they discovered a history of charges in various locations, including the Virgin Islands, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Williamson County, and Travis County. Notably, Osman is currently out on bail for a separate offense from Sept. 22, 2023, involving felony assault and domestic violence in Steele County, Minnesota.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is seeking $50,000 bail for the theft by deception charge Osman faces in Houston. The GoFundMe account associated with her alleged scam has been frozen after multiple donors reported it as fraudulent.