HOUSTON – The lead prosecutor on a case where a woman is accused of making up a story about being hit in the face with a brick during an altercation with a man outside a Houston club is sharing more about what led up to her facing charges.
Roda Osman, 33, is accused of committing felony theft by deception. Osman went viral on social media after making claims a man assaulted her with a brick outside the club in September. But, according to court documents, Osman used the made up story to fraudulently raise at least $40,000.
Keith Houston is the Cybercrimes Chief Prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. He said surveillance video of the alleged assault tells a very different story then what Osman had claimed on social media.
Q: Did any of the evidence verify what Osman claimed happened to her?
A: “No. That was not verified. By any of the evidence that was looked at. They were able to find video of the defendant and another person who we believe was the accused assaulter. They got into a car, they both got out of the car, and the defendant slapped the male, who then responded by slapping her back. He did have a water bottle in his hand. And we think that’s what left the mark on her, on her face. But it was mutual combat,” Houston said.
Q: What role did the fact that this incident went viral on social media play into the investigation and tips?
A: “That played a very big part in this, from what I understand, even before the detective had come to me, people were already reporting to GoFundMe that it was fraud, that they suspected it to be fraud and GoFundMe, I don’t know when they froze it, but it was before I was contacted in November and the the donation was frozen for a long period of time,” Houston said.
Q: Did Osman ever get access to the money raised from the GoFundMe?
A: “My understanding is she did not get any of the money, but she did also put on her personal IDs for Venmo, Cashapp and PayPal so people can send money to her directly,” Houston said.
Q: Has Osman ever been accused of something like this before?
A: “Yes. Somebody who saw the story contacted the police here and informed them that she had done the exact same thing in Minnesota in 2020,” Houston said.
Q: What do you know about that case?
A: “The only thing I know is that the web page was still up when we did our charging documents. (Detective) verified with Minneapolis police that there was no assault. And at that time, it was completely fictional. And it was her former roommate, I believe that reported it or somebody that she knew reported it,” Houston said.
Q: How can people avoid being scammed by stories like these?
A: “The biggest thing is don’t react immediately. Look into it a little bit and take your time. I mean, if somebody has medical bills, those medical bills don’t need to be paid immediately. You can wait 30 days, you can wait 60 days, verify something and then you’re going to help somebody out. Also, stick with people you know, I’ve helped friends who have recommended GoFundMe pages of their friends. So I think it’s a matter of trust, you got to trust who you’re giving the money to,” Houston said.
Q: Has Osman participated in the investigation in any way?
A: “I first came into this investigation back around Thanksgiving time. And at that time, the detective was trying to get the defendant to come in and talk and see what exactly was going on here. The only reason we charged this now, what we did is because she just hasn’t come in. They’ve given her several opportunities to come in, and she’s just not shown up,” Houston said.
Osman responds
In an Instagram story posted Wednesday, Osman addressed those who have doubted her.
“I actually have things going on in my life. I actually have real ways to make money. I don’t have to get a GoFundMe for money. I actually can earn income because I’m actually educated and I actually am talented,” Osman said.
Osman didn’t respond when KPRC 2 reached out to her on Instagram Wednesday evening, but she is wanted for theft in Harris County.
GoFundMe also released a statement:
GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing. The fundraiser has been removed from the platform, all donors have been refunded, and Roda Osman has been banned from using the platform for any future fundraisers.