A GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $400,000 intended for a seemingly kindhearted homeless veteran has been revealed as a scam.
In November 2017, Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure set up a fundraising page called Paying It Forward aiming to raise $10,000 for homeless former marine Johnny Bobbitt Jr.
The fundraiser claimed Bobbitt had spent his last $20 on gas for McClure after her car ran empty one night in Philadelphia.
The feel-good story went viral and the campaign raised more than $400,000, but the trio later made headlines when Bobbitt took legal action, claiming the couple had kept most of the money.
'Too good to be true'
Today however, authorities claimed the entire story was a work of fiction as part of a scam concocted by the trio.
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced in a press conference that all three have been charged with theft.
“The Paying It Forward story that drive this fundraiser might seem too good to be true,” said Coffina.
Johnny Bobbitt and Katie McClure (Image: GoFundMe)“Unfortunately, it was. The entire campaign was predicated on a lie.”
Just hours after the fundraiser was set up, McClure texted a friend and revealed the scam.
Coffina added: “Specifically she wrote: ‘OK so wait, the gas part is completely made up but the guy isn’t. I had to make something up to make people feel bad so shhh about the made up stuff.’”
'Consequences'
All three have now been charged with second-degree theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception.
D’Amico and McClure surrendered last night and were released pending a December 24 court date.
Bobbitt is in custody in Philadelphia awaiting an extradition hearing.
“D’Amico, McClure and Bobbitt conspired to pass off a fake feel-good story that would compel donors to contribute to their cause and it worked – in a very big way,” added Coffina.
“But it was fictitious and illegal and there are consequences.”
'Fully complicit'
Coffina added that after the couple faced financial uncertainty having squandered the money on a car, trips and gambling, D’Amico planned a book deal that would ‘dwarf’ the fundraiser.
However he said Bobbitt, who felt hard done by, was just as culpable.
“He deserves our appreciation for his willingness to serve our country as a United States Marine and he has our sympathy and concern for the homelessness he has experienced as well as his publicised struggle with addiction,” said Coffina.
“But it is imperative to keep in mind that he was fully complicit with this scheme to defraud contributors, promoting the campaign in multiple media appearances and posing with D’Amico and McClure for a Philadelphia Inquirer story in front of a gas station that he did not buy gas from.”
GoFundMe has announced that it will be provide a full refund to all donors of the campaign, which saw 14,000 contributors raise $403,000.
