Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNews

Woman, Homeless Man in GoFundMe Scheme Plead Guilty

Posted byBy Associated Press | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — A homeless man and a woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges in a GoFundMe scheme that prosecutors say netted $400,000 with a phony story about him coming to her aid.

Johnny Bobbitt, 36, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, and Katelyn McClure, 28, of Bordentown, New Jersey, pleaded to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

GoFundMe

Johnny Bobbitt, Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure will all face charges for their role in the GoFundMe scam. (Image courtesy of The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP file)

Bobbitt conspired with McClure and her then-boyfriend Mark D’Amico to make up a story in 2017 about Bobbitt giving McClure cash for gas when she was stranded along a Philadelphia highway, according to prosecutors.

The scheme raised $400,000, which the couple claimed would be donated to Bobbitt. Instead, New Jersey authorities said, the three split the money and spent lavishly, including on a car, designer bags, and trips to Las Vegas, Disneyland, Disney World, the Grand Canyon and New York City. GoFundMe says it has refunded all the donations.

The tale of a homeless good Samaritan made international headlines, with the trio appearing on TV. Their relationship soured, though, when Bobbitt sued the couple over what he said was their failure to turn money over to him.

New Jersey prosecutors said the suit led them to start an investigation, including hauling away a BMW they determined was purchased with the funds at the New Jersey home where McClure and D’Amico were living at the time.

All three still face charges in state court. D’Amico’s attorney, Mark Davis, says his client denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged by federal authorities.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top