Nephew and Conspirators Plot to Steal $100K from Uncle via Crowdfunding
Michigan nephew and four conspirators face sentencing for abducting and beating uncle in $100K crowdfunding theft.
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A Michigan nephew and four conspirators are set to face sentencing for abducting and brutally beating his uncle in a scheme to steal $100,000 he was gifted through crowdfunding. The incident, which occurred in September 2025, involved a coordinated plan to rob the victim and leave him tied up next to his burning truck.
Conspiracy and Criminal Acts
Roland Chatmon, 37, pleaded guilty to kidnapping conspiracy and federal gun charges, according to federal prosecutors in Detroit. Leica Lopez Martinez, 33, Ieasha Stroman, 38, and Dneiqua Stroman, 43, face the same charges. Kenneth Anderson, 54, previously pleaded guilty to money laundering for his role in the conspiracy.
The plot began in August 2025 when Curtis Dixon, Chatmon’s uncle, went viral online for offering to help Zachery Dereniowski, a TikTok influencer known as MDMotivator, who had over 28 million followers. Dereniowski, who pretended to be blind for a video, rewarded Dixon with $100,000, a new car, and other gifts for his good deed. Dixon started a GoFundMe campaign on his behalf, which was highly publicized.
On September 1, 2025, Chatmon and his co-conspirators executed their plan. One conspirator lured Dixon by pretending to need a ride. While Dixon drove, Chatmon gave directions via cell phone. After parking, the conspirators carjacked Dixon at gunpoint, hog-tied him, and kept him hostage in his own truck. They drove him around, repeatedly beating and pistol-whipping him, in an attempt to get money from his bank accounts.
After extracting cash, the conspirators sought more funds and convinced Dixon to reveal the location of a safe at his house. They broke into his home, stole the safe, and tied up Chatmon’s aunt, leaving her in a bathtub. The conspirators then left Dixon on the ground next to his burning truck and fled. Later, they met with Anderson, who helped move money from Dixon’s Cash App account into their own.
Arrests and Sentencing
ATF agents raided five homes across Detroit, Rochester Hills, and Pontiac within a month of the incident, leading to the arrest of all five suspects. With their guilty pleas, Chatmon, Lopez Martinez, and the two Stromans face at least seven years in federal prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment.
Anderson, who pleaded guilty earlier, received probation and was ordered to pay restitution. Dixon, who told WXYZ in Detroit that he has not recovered all the donated money and is struggling to find housing, expressed shock at the betrayal by a family member. He stated, “I expected somebody on the streets to do it to me before a family member would.”
Source: Breitbart
