A New Jersey couple who had been accused of stealing GoFundMe donations meant for a homeless man who selflessly gave $20 to a woman in need of gas money is now facing new accusations — that they were working together with the homeless man all along.
As NBC Philadelphia reported, Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure gained national fame when they told the story about the Good Samaritan giving his only cash to a stranded Kate, and started a GoFundMe page on his behalf that raised $400,000. But over the summer, the couple faced allegations that they were pilfering the funds for themselves and that the remainder of the money was gone.
Now, sources told NBC Philadelphia that the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt, is being accused of working together with the couple to provide the fake story and defrauding donors.
“A complaint obtained by NBC10 alleges that the three conspired with one another to make up a false story in order to raise more than $400,000,” the report noted. “Investigators say the three deliberately prevented donors for their GoFundMe campaign from gaining information ‘that would affect their judgment about solicited contribution to that fundraising effort.’”
Couple and homeless man in GoFundMe controversy accused of making up story, source says https://t.co/StEwTEVib6 pic.twitter.com/i9U3ExR6o5
— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) November 15, 2018
Bobbitt had leveled allegations this summer that the couple had been using the funds as their “personal piggy bank” and he took them to court. In turn, the couple accused Bobbitt of spending $25,000 in just two weeks on drugs and overdue legal bills, NBC Philadelphia reported.
In September, police with a search warrant went to the couple’s home and reportedly seized a BMW, Louis Vuitton bags, jewelry, and other items, per the Inquisitr .
“A search warrant was executed early this morning by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Florence Township Police Department at the residence of Mark D’Amico and Katelyn McClure in connection with a criminal investigation into the Johnny Bobbitt matter,” said Scott Coffina, Burlington County prosecutor.
Just days later, the couple’s lawyer announced that he was no longer representing the New Jersey couple.
“Since it is expected that one or both of the Defendants will likely be indicted, my firm and I will no longer be able to continue our representation of them in this matter,” attorney Ernest Badway wrote in a petition to Superior Court Judge Paula Dow to pause the civil case.
It was not yet clear what level of charges the New Jersey couple and the homeless man could face for the alleged scheme to fool donors.
