Homeless veteran who helped stranded woman hasn’t received money raised for him

The homeless veteran who became a viral sensation after helping a stranded woman is mired in an acrimonious dispute with the woman and her boyfriend after not receiving about half of the money the couple had raised for him as a result of his good deed. 

Video from October 2017 showing Johnny Bobbitt  helping a woman get gasoline with his last $20 had quickly gone viral. The woman, Kate McClure, responded by launching a GoFundMe page with her boyfriend that generated over $400,000 in donations for Bobbitt to get a vehicle and be able to afford a home. 

{mosads} But The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Thursday that Bobbitt is homeless, drug-addicted, and panhandling again. 

The couple has given the homeless veteran about half of the funds raised but are withholding the remainder, according to the newspaper, and Bobbitt said he believes McClure and her boyfriend may have spent much of the remaining money.

The Inquirer said that has led to an acrimonious dispute between the couple and Bobbitt that may end up in court over whether the money was mismanaged 

The couple has argued it will not give him the money because of Bobbitt’s drug addiction, according to the newspaper.

Mark D’Amico, McClure’s boyfriend, told the Inquirer that Bobbitt once burned through $25,000 in less than two weeks, and that they will not give the money until the homeless veteran turns his life around.

“Giving him all that money, it’s never going to happen. I’ll burn it in front of him,” he told the newspaper. He added that giving an “addict” the money would be like “giving him a loaded gun.”

Bobbitt on the other hand is arguing that the couple didn’t give him anywhere close to $200,000. He’s also asserted that the couple limited how much financial support they gave to him and that he never received direct access to the money donated. 

“GoFundMe is looking into the claims of misuse regarding this campaign,” GoFundMe spokesperson Bartlett Jackson said in a statement to Gizmodo. “We will work to ensure that Johnny receives the help he deserves and that the donors intentions are honored.”