Five people plead guilty in plot to kidnap, rob Detroit man featured in viral video

Five people have pleaded guilty in connection with the kidnapping and robbery of a Detroit man who was gifted more than $100,000 in a viral video, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Roland Chatmon, 37, of Detroit, Leica Lopez Martinez, 33, of Lake Orion, Ieasha Stroman, 38, of Pontiac, and Dneiqua Stroman, 43, of Pontiac, pleaded guilty to firearms offenses and kidnapping. 

A fifth person, 54-year-old Kenneth Anderson, of Pontiac, previously pleaded guilty to money laundering. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution.

Federal prosecutors say the defendants made plans to take money from Chatmon's uncle after he appeared in a viral video in August 2025. A social media influencer raised money for Chatmon's uncle, who had offered to help someone in need. The influencer gifted the man over $100,000, a new car, and other items.

Federal prosecutors say Chatmon talked to his brother, who was in jail, and the recorded call captured the men developing a plan to take the uncle's money.

On Sept. 1, Chatmon and his co-conspirators lured the uncle by claiming they needed a ride, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors say when the uncle parked at the location, the defendants carjacked him at gunpoint, tied him up and put him in the trunk. At some point, the defendants assaulted the uncle while making cash withdrawals. Prosecutors say the defendants demanded more money, and the uncle offered them his safe.

Prosecutors say the group drove to the uncle's house, and Chatmon and Dneiqua Stroman broke into his house and stole the safe. Federal prosecutors say they also tied up Chatmon's aunt and left her in the bathtub.

The defendants left the uncle on the ground before setting his truck on fire, according to prosecutors. The group later met with Anderson, who helped move money from the uncle's Cash App.

All of the defendants were arrested later that month following a federal investigation and the execution of search warrants in Detroit, Rochester Hills, and Pontiac.

Chatmon, Martinez, Ieasha Stroman and Dneiqua Stroman face a minimum of seven years in prison. Sentencing is set for February 2027 and March 2027.