Homeless vet, woman plead guilty in GoFundMe scheme

A woman and a homeless veteran with whom she conspired to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in a GoFundMe scheme pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court.

Local news affiliate ABC 13 reported Wednesday that Johnny Bobbitt, 36, and Kate McClure, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, respectively. The two also face charges at the state level, along with McClure’s then-boyfriend Mark D’Amico.

{mosads}Prosecutors say that McClure and D’Amico conspired with Bobbitt to create a fake story about Bobbitt lending McClure his last $20 when she supposedly ran out of gas on the highway, prompting a wave of GoFundMe donations directed at the couple who promised to give the proceeds to Bobbitt.

Bobbitt later claimed that the two had swindled him out of the money, instead spending it on personal items, prompting an investigation that led to prosecutors declaring the entire story to be a scam late last year.

GoFundMe eventually repaid around $400,000 in donations to users who had donated to Bobbitt’s cause after reading about his supposed generosity. The three were charged in New Jersey court with second-degree theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception.

McClure faces up to 20 years in prison, according to ABC 13, while Bobbitt faces a maximum of 10 years behind bars. The state charges against the three remain in adjudication.

A New Jersey state lawmaker introduced a bill to crack down on GoFundMe scams following news of scam, warning that such efforts undermined legitimate charitable giving.

“Scams like this undermine the foundation of charitable giving,” New Jersey state Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R) said in January. “New Jerseyans, like many, are a giving people. They don’t hesitate to donate when they see someone in need, but when they are deceived it makes them reluctant to give in the future. The ones who suffer are the folks who have a real need.”