The New Jersey man who helped fabricate a heartwarming story about a homeless veteran and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for him through an online fundraiser pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to wire fraud, authorities said.
According to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss multiple charges against Mark D’Amico, 42, over the “Paying It Forward” scheme that raised $400,000 from 14,000 people four years ago.
D’Amico, who already admitted to committing state crimes in 2019, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
His then-girlfriend, Katelyn McClure, and the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., also pleaded guilty to federal crimes in the case and are awaiting sentencing.
D’Amico and McClure created the fictitious campaign in November 2017 on GoFundMe. Bobbitt had given McClure his last $20 after she ran out of gas on Interstate 95 while driving home from Philadelphia, they claimed, and they wanted to raise $10,000 to help get Bobbitt off the streets.
The story was false, but it quickly went viral and raised nearly half a million dollars. D’Amico and McClure spent “significant amounts” of the proceeds on gambling, vacations and luxury goods, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors have said they believe Bobbitt was a homeless veteran, but that the trio was complicit in fabricating the yarn about him helping McClure.
Their story unraveled when Bobbitt sued the couple in 2018, claiming he was back on the streets because the couple had mismanaged the funds.
Tim Stelloh is a reporter for NBC News based in California.
The New Jersey man who helped fabricate a heartwarming story about a homeless veteran and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for him through an online fundraiser pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to wire fraud, authorities said. According to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss multiple charges against Mark D’Amico, 42, over the “Paying It Forward” scheme that raised $400,000 from 14,000 people four years ago. D’Amico, who already admitted to committing state crimes in 2019, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to 20 years in prison.His then-girlfriend, Katelyn McClure, and the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., also pleaded guilty to federal crimes in the case and are awaiting sentencing.D’Amico and McClure created the fictitious campaign in November 2017 on GoFundMe. Bobbitt had given McClure his last $20 after she ran out of gas on Interstate 95 while driving home from Philadelphia, they claimed, and they wanted to raise $10,000 to help get Bobbitt off the streets.The story was false, but it quickly went viral and raised nearly half a million dollars. D’Amico and McClure spent “significant amounts” of the proceeds on gambling, vacations and luxury goods, prosecutors said.Prosecutors have said they believe Bobbitt was a homeless veteran, but that the trio was complicit in fabricating the yarn about him helping McClure.Their story unraveled when Bobbitt sued the couple in 2018, claiming he was back on the streets because the couple had mismanaged the funds. Tim Stelloh is a reporter for NBC News based in California.