GoFundMe scam: Homeless man, couple face court hearing Monday
MOUNT HOLLY, New Jersey (WABC) -- A court hearing will be held Monday for a trio accused of fabricating a feel-good GoFundMe story.
New Jersey couple Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico and homeless ex-Marine Johnny Bobbitt are charged with second-degree theft and conspiracy.
Late last year, D'Amico and McClure started the GoFundMe account for Bobbitt, who they said spent his last $20 to buy gas for McClure after she was stranded along I-95 in Philadelphia.
Claiming they wanted to "pay it forward," they launched the campaign with the goal of raising $10,000 to help Bobbitt get back on his feet.
It quickly went viral and the money poured in, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Prosecutor Scott Coffina, of the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, said the tale was "fictitious" and "formed the basis of a scam" that was "concocted to compel kind-hearted individuals to contribute to the cause."
If convicted, they each face 5 to 10 years in prison.
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