Photo from GoFundMe page
PHILADELPHIA – Remember the story about the homeless man’s generosity that resulted in a New Jersey couple collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars via GoFundMe? Investigators say it was all a scam, according to WTXF.
Now the couple and the homeless man are facing charges.
This story went viral last November when Kate McClure posted it on social media. She said she ran out of gas in Philadelphia and was stuck on the highway when a homeless man named Johnny Bobbitt gave her his last $20. Her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, set up a GoFundMe account for Bobbitt. It raised more than $400,000.
Now, investigators say it was all a ploy to raise money.
The story first began raising suspicion when Bobbitt sued the couple over the GoFundMe money, saying they were using it as a “personal piggy bank.”
Police raided the couple’s home in September and seized several items, including a BMW.
The three are facing charges of conspiracy and theft by deception. McClure and D’Amico have already turned themselves in.
WTXF reports the Burlington County Prosecutor will announce more information at a press conference at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
