Katelyn McClure She believed that together with her boyfriend they had created the perfect scam after they managed to raise about $400,000 in a bogus campaign to benefit a homeless person New Jersey, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; However, the then-couple would not expect the man to betray her to the authorities, for which she was sentenced to three years in prison.
According to the prosecutor’s thesis Burlington, McClure32, and her ex-boyfriend Mark D’Amico scammed about 14,000 people through the fundraising website GoFundMe, hinting that the money raised would be used for a major act of solidarity for a destitute and homeless Philadelphia veteran in November 2017.
The couple uploaded a fake fundraising story for a homeless man to the GoFundMe page. Photo: GoFundMe
However, both used the money to buy a vehicle. bmw, Travel to casinos in Las Vegas and New Jersey, a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyonhandbags Louis Vuitton and other objects, according to the federal criminal complaint.
How did the scam happen?
The ruse began in 2017 after they circulated a touching but false story claiming that homeless people Johnny Bobbita US Army veteran, had given up his last $20 McClure so she could fill her tank with gas after running out of gas on a highway Philadelphia.
After the “good deed” went viral on social media, the trio even gave interviews to the media to raise more money. According to the former couple, their goal was to raise $10,000 so Bobbitt would have enough money for an apartment, a car, and living expenses for at least six months.
Katelyn McClure and her boyfriend went to the media to promote their “campaign.” Photo: @pawan2050soni/Twitter
What they didn’t expect would be a year later Bobbitt sued her, claiming he only received $75,000 of the proceeds. Authorities began their investigation and found that the couple first met the man near a casino at least a month before the campaign was made public.
Investigators found text messages from the couple discussing and planning the scam because of their money problems. This has even been established McClure He wrote to a friend: “Okay wait the fuel part is all done but the guy isn’t. I had to come up with something to make people feel bad.”
Cheaters Johnny Bobbitt, Katelyn McClure and Mark D’Amico Photo: @CBSPhiladelphia/Twitter
Bobbitt He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery by deception in 2019 and was sentenced to five years of special probation. For his part D’Amico He also pleaded guilty, accepting a five-year sentence and restitution to the donors.