Houston’s Viral “Brick Lady” Found Guilty in GoFundMe Scam

In 2023, Roda Osman became a viral figure on social media after claiming she was attacked by a man who hit her in the head with a brick for refusing to give him her phone number. Her emotional video sparked outrage and sympathy online, with thousands of users rushing to donate to a GoFundMe campaign she created in the aftermath. That fundraiser ultimately brought in more than $42,000 in donations.

However, what began as a shocking story of gender-based violence soon unraveled into a case of deception. According to court records, Osman told police that she had been walking on September 3, 2023, when a stranger assaulted her without warning. But investigators later uncovered surveillance footage that painted a much different picture of what actually took place that day.

Authorities say the video showed Osman engaged in both a verbal and physical altercation with a man, during which she struck him in the face with an unknown object. The man responded by hitting her in the face: Not with a brick, but with what appeared to be a plastic water bottle. Prosecutors said Osman’s viral version of events left out those critical details and was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

On Wednesday, a jury found Osman guilty of theft for collecting funds under false pretenses. Instead of prison time, she was sentenced to 10 years of probation, 90 days in jail and a 10 year ban from social media.

The “brick lady” saga serves as a cautionary tale about the speed at which online narratives can spiral and the potential consequences of misinformation. What many initially saw as a tragic example of unprovoked violence turned out to be an elaborate lie—one that ultimately cost Osman her reputation and her freedom.

Houston’s Viral “Brick Lady” Found Guilty in GoFundMe Scam was originally published on theboxhouston.com