
Wendy Osefo, a star on Bravo TV’s “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” and her husband were arrested and indicted Thursday in Carroll County, Maryland, for allegedly making a false burglary report.
Osefo was born in Nigeria and moved to Maryland with her family at a young age. She earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She’s been on the reality show since 2020, where her relationship with her husband and their three children is regularly showcased.
According to police, Osefo and her husband Edward claimed someone broke into their Finksburg home in April 2024 and stole dozens of items with a total value over $200,000.
The couple alleged they had returned from a vacation in Jamaica and found their home had been broken into and items, including designer handbags and jewelry, missing.
Carroll County Sheriff Jim DeWees said at a news conference Friday that their home had surveillance camera inside and outside and police had not detected any “suspicious activity outside of the residence during the time the Osefos were away from the residence.” He said they also found no signs of forced entry, though a bedroom upstairs was “ransacked.”
“Weeks after the alleged burglary, detectives discovered Mrs. Osefo had posted photos on social media wearing jewelry that matched items she had reported stolen, specifically a diamond anniversary band,” DeWees said.
E-mailed receipts of the items were also found to be false after police gained access to the Osefos email addresses.
DeWees said during the couple’s arrest on Thursday, 15 other items that were reported stolen were found during a search of their home.
Wendy Osefo faces seven counts of insurance fraud, among nine other charges.
“Some folks may view insurance fraud as an innocuous crime, since it only affects insurance companies. That’s certainly not true. Insurance fraud affects all of us in the form of increased premiums that we all bear,” Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker said.
The Osefos were released on a $50,000 bail bond.
The couple will return to court for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 7.