True Crime Commentator Goes Over Another South African Refugee Arrested in the USA

• True crime commentator Bella Monsoon reported a third case involving a South African man facing abuse material charges in the USA, bringing the total number of cases she has covered to three
• The latest case involves a man arrested in Rochester, Minnesota, after Coinbase flagged cryptocurrency payments allegedly linked to a dark-web CSAM site
• The accused missed a court hearing in late October 2026, resulting in an active arrest warrant being issued

A South African content creator known as Bella Monsoon shared a video on 9 November 2026 discussing a third South African man facing abuse material charges in the United States. She said the case predates the two other cases she had previously covered.

The Minnesota case

The 31-year-old South African man relocated to Rochester, Minnesota, in September 2025 through the US Afrikaner refugee programme. He was arrested on 28 April 2026 after cryptocurrency platform Coinbase reportedly flagged payments allegedly made to a dark-web site selling abuse material. Coinbase also reportedly blocked three additional attempted payments.

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During a search of his home, police seized electronic devices containing approximately 200 images and videos.

The accused reportedly admitted to investigators that he had been viewing this material since 2015 and had used cryptocurrency to pay for the material.

Facebook tips submitted between 2022 and 2024, which investigators traced to an account based in South Africa, were also linked to the investigation. Bella questioned how these earlier digital red flags had not been identified during the refugee screening process before the man was admitted into the country.

The case also attracted attention after the accused's wife reportedly shared a Facebook post announcing that the family had purchased their first home in the US and relocated to Stewartville, Minnesota. This was despite the landlord of their previously rented property reportedly seeking an eviction.

The accused was released while the criminal case remained pending. However, he failed to appear at a court hearing in late October 2026, resulting in an active arrest warrant being issued.

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Two other South Africans facing charges

The Minnesota case is not the only one involving South African nationals facing similar charges in the United States.

One 28-year-old South African man was arrested on 16 October 2026 in North Olmsted, Ohio, following a sting operation at a Walmart. He was indicted on 11 felony counts and released on $5,000 bail. If convicted, he could face up to 85 years in prison.

In a separate case, a 42-year-old South African man living in the US on a work visa was arrested in Grady County, Oklahoma, following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.

All three cases remain subject to the legal process, and the accused individuals have not been convicted. The allegations against them have yet to be tested in court.

Watch Bella Monsoon's full breakdown of the case here.

South Africans respond to Bella's report

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Viewers flooded the comments on Bella Monsoon's Facebook reel with reactions:

@Kath Douglas wrote:

"There is another one. Marcell Meyer was sentenced in August. Like Du Toit, he is not a refugee though. But on an agricultural visa."

@Natasha De Beer said:

"Well, as per one report, his wife is the close relative in the whole story, and some say he is back in SA, Durban. How sick are they?"

@Cheray Jackson urged:

"Please keep on reporting on these issues. Awareness and exposure is needed."

@Kirsty Roberts added:

"Been watching you since I moved back a few months ago."

@Ramona Jane Maloy responded:

"You're a genius, Bella!! 🔥"

@Ash Sitzer simply wrote:

"And there is no ending to this."

More on crime and court cases

• Briefly News recently reported on federal authorities taking Thomas Markle into custody in the US.
• Police are investigating a deadly shooting at the Bellville Taxi Rank that also left others wounded.
• Vusimuzi Matlala made fresh allegations about Bheki Cele at the Madlanga Commission on 11 November.

Source: Briefly News