Alleged GoFundMe Scammer Says Her Boyfriend And Homeless Man Concocted The Scheme
An alleged scammer is now saying that her two co-conspirators involved used her because she was “naive,” the New York Post is reporting.
As previously reported in the Inquisitr, Johnny Bobbitt, Mark D’Amico, and Katelyn McClure have been accused of lying through a GoFundMe campaign and receiving $367,108.81 through donations under false pretenses. McClure and D’Amico created a fundraiser in November 2017, claiming that Bobbitt was homeless and that he gave the couple his last $20 to buy gas after they ran out on an I-95 off-ramp. The two claimed they were setting up the fundraiser to help Bobbitt and repay him for his kindness. Now, authorities believe the whole story was made up.
“[McClure] did not run out of gas … and [Bobbitt] did not spend his last $20 to help her,” said Burlington County prosecutor Scott Coffina. “Rather, D’Amico, McClure and Bobbitt conspired to fabricate and promote a feel-good story that would compel donors to contribute to their cause.”
At some point, the scammers reportedly turned on each other, with Bobbit alleging that the couple was using him as their “personal piggy bank.” The couple alleged in return that Bobbit spent $25,000 in just two weeks on drugs and overdue legal bills. After further investigation, it was discovered that all three had come up with the scheme together. Authorities conducted a search at McClure and D’Amico’s home and seized a BMW, Louis Vuitton bags, and jewelry. Now, McClure is claiming that D’Amico and Bobbitt took advantage of her kindness and convinced her to take part in the scam.
How this trio's $400K GoFundMe scam was finally exposed https://t.co/9tPKthv4AJ pic.twitter.com/DF1P9ucehm
— New York Post (@nypost) November 16, 2018
“I was set up by Mr. D’Amico and Mr. Bobbitt,” McClure stated through her lawyer on Friday, November 16. “Mr. D’Amico knew that I was a very kind person and that I was a bit naive. Mr. D’Amico took advantage of that.”
McClure’s lawyer, James Gerrow, shared that McClure and D’Amico are no longer dating and that McClure refuses to answer his phone calls. All three alleged scammers have been charged with deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, which combined can result in five to ten years in prison. McClure’s parents, Bill and Kelly, have come out in support of her.
“Kelly and I are fully supportive of our daughter,” Bill said to reporters outside of his home. “She’s doing as best as she can.”
The public has noted the similarities between McClure’s claims and the story of Joyce Mitchell. Mitchell was a prison seamstress who helped free two imprisoned murderers from Clinton Correctional Facility. Mitchell said that the felons, David Sweat and Richard Matt, were able to convince her to help them due to her kind nature and depressed mental state.
