Source: Houston Police Department
A Black woman accused of using an online crowdfunding service to raise money under false pretenses has posted bond and is free following her surrender to authorities after it was reported she previously failed to turn herself in when a felony warrant was issued for her arrest in Houston.
Roda Osman, 33, paid a $10,000 bond on Tuesday, five days after she had originally vowed to turn herself in to answer for felony theft by deception charges stemming from a GoFundMe account she started because she claimed to be a victim of a brutal assault, kidnapping and attempted human trafficking.
Fox 26 reported that Osman was in court on Tuesday before being granted bond.
Prior to turning herself in, Osman told the Shade Room in an exclusive interview that she was not trying to avoid her arrest as prior reports had indicated and instead was in the process of securing legal representation.
“I’m not on the run,” Osman said this week. “Everyone is trying to extort me for money. I am trying to find a proper lawyer to surrender with.”
Osman called the charges “bullsh** claims” and cited “retribution” from the arresting police officer before adding: “I look forward to my day in court!”
In the interview with Shade Room, Osman also claimed to identify her alleged attacker by name.
“Olan Douglas harmed me,” Osman insisted before directing blame elsewhere. “Social media harmed me. Blogs harmed me. HPD has harmed me. I have been abused and revictimized and now I’m being held to a level of scrubby that is dangerous to all.”
What happened?
On Sept. 3, 2023, law enforcement officials responded to an alleged aggravated assault incident. Upon their arrival, they met Osman and her female friend. Police reported that Osman was drunk and aggressive when she told officers that a male Uber driver threw a brick at her after she refused his advances in his car. Osman said the Uber driver reacted by trying to kidnap her.
Osman subsequently released a video showing herself – face fully swollen and all – tearfully explaining the ordeal. She’d later rake in more than $42,000 via GoFundMe from sympathetic people horrified by her ordeal.
Authorities allege that this isn’t Osman’s first time making fake allegations, particularly via the GoFundMe platform.
Click 2 Houston cited charging documents when previously reporting that Osman’s friend contradicted her claim about the brick.
The entire ordeal has resulted in Osman being dubbed on social media as the “brick lady.”
Osman is due in court to be formally arraigned in March.
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