A woman who gained popularity on social media by claiming that she was assaulted with a brick outside a club in Houston is now facing charges for allegedly scamming people out of tens of thousands of dollars on GoFundMe.
Roda Osman, 33, has been charged with felony theft by deception. According to court documents, Osman started a fraudulent GoFundMe page in September, claiming that she was the victim of a similar attack over three years ago. Houston police officers responded to an aggravated assault incident on September 3, where Osman and her friend were present. During the investigation, officers noted that Osman was intoxicated and hostile. In her initial report, Osman claimed that an unknown man threw a brick at her when she refused to give him her phone number. She also alleged that the suspect was an Uber driver who tried to kidnap her. However, a follow-up investigation revealed inconsistencies in Osman’s story.
Detectives were unable to reach Osman directly as she provided her friend’s number, who was also present during the incident. The friend stated that she did not believe Osman was hit with a brick and could not positively identify the suspects involved. Surveillance video from the area where the incident was reported contradicted Osman’s account. The footage showed no evidence of an assault.
