New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty for Role in $400K GoFundMe Scheme

A man from New Jersey has pleaded guilty in federal court for his part in a $400,000 GoFundMe scheme, the New York Post reported Monday.

“Mark D’Amico, 42, formerly of Bordentown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he and ex-girlfriend Katelyn McClure invented a heartwarming but false story that a homeless vet, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., had just spent his last $20 to help McClure fill up her gas tank while she was stranded on I-95 in Philadelphia,” the outlet said.

D’Amico and McClure set up a GoFundMe page in November 2017 that donors thought was going to help Bobbitt.

The goal was set at $10,000 purportedly to help Bobbitt find somewhere to live.

The story gained attention and was reported by local and national media stations, and in just under a month, they defrauded over 14,000 people for $400,000.

In 2018, investigators said the three individuals made sure the donors would not get information “that would affect their judgment about solicited contribution to that fundraising effort,” Breitbart News reported.

The money was moved from the fundraising page to D’Amico and McClure’s own accounts, and the pair spent most of it over a three month period on personal expenses.

Later in November 2017, after the campaign brought in $1,700, the couple informed Bobbitt about their story and the money, which he had been unaware of while he lived inside a trailer.

“In December 2017, officials say D’Amico opened a bank account for Bobbitt and the two deposited $25,000 into the account,” the Post report stated.

However, Bobbitt’s lawyer said he received about $75,000, a camper, an old pickup truck, and asserted the couple spent the remaining funds to “enjoy a lifestyle they could not afford.”

In September 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at McClure and D’Amico’s Bordentown, New Jersey, residence.

Law enforcement and additional authorities descended on the property while D’Amico stayed in the backyard. Meanwhile, McClure got into a car and left:

“In March 2019, both McClure and Bobbitt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, respectively, for their involvement. Both are awaiting sentencing,” the Post report said.

Now, D’Amico is facing a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars and also a $250,000 fine. His sentencing was set for March of next year.