Couple Raised $400,000 For 'Homeless Man' Only To Keep It For Themselves And It Didn't End Well At All

A couple's scheme to raise funds under the guise of helping a homeless man swiftly unraveled when legal consequences caught up with them.

Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure, who were in a relationship at the time, initiated a fundraising campaign for 39-year-old Johnny Bobbitt, claiming they encountered him on a highway in Philadelphia.

Credit: GoFundMe / KateMcClure

They spun a narrative that McClure had run out of gas in 2017, and Bobbitt, who they described as a 'veteran,' generously offered his last $20 to assist her.

In what appeared to be an effort to return Bobbitt's kindness, the duo launched a GoFundMe campaign, aiming to collect $10,000.

They shared their heartwarming story with the national media, spurring over 14,000 people to contribute, ultimately amassing a whopping $400,000.

However, the plot thickened when Bobbitt accused D'Amico and McClure of withholding the funds raised on his behalf, prompting an investigation by law enforcement.

A federal criminal complaint later revealed that by March 2018, the couple had allegedly squandered the entire sum.

The prosecutor's office detailed that D'Amico and McClure had indulged in luxury with the donated funds. 

They spent lavishly on "casino gambling and personal items such as a BMW, a New Year's trip to Las Vegas, a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon, and Louis Vuitton handbags."

Credit: GoFundMe / KateMcClure

As the investigation deepened, it became apparent that D'Amico and McClure were not acting alone. 

State and federal prosecutors disclosed that Bobbitt was also complicit in the scheme, having met the couple by a Philadelphia casino in October 2017, just before they went public with their story.

Reflecting on the deceit, Burlington Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw remarked: 

"People genuinely wanted to believe it was true. But it was all a lie, and it was illegal."

"Our office is pleased to bring justice for the more than 14,000 kind-hearted people who thought they were helping someone who was living in a desperate situation."

In the fallout from their actions, Bobbitt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and received a sentence of three years of probation.

He was also mandated to repay $25,000 in restitution. This followed a 2019 sentence of five years' probation on state charges.

Credit: Fox 29 Philadelphia

D'Amico admitted guilt to federal charges and received a 27-month prison sentence, along with a restitution order.

McClure faced one year of incarceration, was ordered to make restitution, and given three years' supervised release.

In January 2023, her legal troubles compounded when she was sentenced to an additional three years in prison after pleading guilty to theft by deception, with her sentences set to run concurrently.