An individual who gained significant attention on social media for alleging that she was attacked with a brick outside a nightclub in Houston is currently facing allegations of orchestrating a fraudulent GoFundMe campaign, resulting in the collection of a substantial amount of money.
According to Click2Houston, police have charged Roda Osman, 33, with felony theft by deception. Osman allegedly raised over $40k on GoFundMe by lying to the internet claiming that she was attacked by a man outside a club in Houston while other men stood by and watched. Osman’s video garnered millions of views across social media platforms at the time and sparked debates about whether black men protect black women in time of need.
When she first reported the accident, she told police she believed it was her Uber driver who attacked her, but when she was questioned again, she accused a man named Olan Douglas. In the charging documents, police noted that Osman’s story changed multiple times and when she was asked about the conflicting details she would become irritated and hang up.
Osman’s friend that was present at the attack told police that the women had gotten into a car with men that she assumed Osman knew. The friend was in the front and Osman got in the backseat. The friend said she heard Osman say the man hit her, but she never heard an argument. When they got out of the car, Osman began to record and claim to be hit with a brick, but the friend told police she never believed that story.
After gathering the details, police went to one of the clubs where Osman claimed the attack happened to view the security cameras. In the videos, it was revealed that Osman and her friend were in the car with Douglas and another man outside the club. Minutes later, Osman and Douglas got out of the car and Douglas seemingly hit Osman in the face with a water bottle. Then, Douglas and the other man left.
Harris County D.A.’s office is requesting a $50k bail for Osman.
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