Woman Sentenced To Three Years In State Prison Over GoFundMe Veteran Scam

Friday’s sentence was for a woman who participated in a GoFundMe scheme that raised over $400,000 and sent her to a New Jersey prison. 

“This sentencing brings to a close a case that defrauded more than 14,000 people whose decency and compassion for others elicited a tremendously heartwarming response to assist someone they believed was truly in need,” Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw . 

“With the new year comes new hope for a better world, and our wish is that prosecutions like this will serve to deter criminals from such deceitful actions, but not discourage individuals from caring about those who are in crisis as a result of a tragedy, or simply need a helping hand after experiencing a hardship or setback,” Bradshaw also said.

Katelyn McClure, a 32-year-old woman from Burlington Township, New Jersey, worked with her former boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, to make a GoFundMe campaign in November of 2017. Fundraising was being done for Johnny Bobbitt. According to prosecutors the fundraiser claimed that Johnny Bobbitt was a homeless veteran who lives in Philadelphia. . 

McClure and D’Amico said on the platform that Bobbitt had given McClure money when she had run out of gasoline, which prosecutors said was a fabrication. Although they claimed that they were trying to bring in $10,000 for Bobbitt they ended up earning $402,000. They didn’t give all of the funds to Bobbitt, however, and instead splurged on a BMW, gambling, Louis Vuitton merchandise, and a vacation. 

The sentencing lands her in a state prison, but she is already serving out a federal sentence of 366 days and wasn’t at the sentencing because she is in federal prison. The sentence of the state will be served simultaneously with the federal sentence.

Bobbitt sued the two of them, saying that he hadn’t gotten all of the money. Officials said that he had shared a similar encounter with a woman in 2012 on his Facebook page. He will be retiring in 2019. Plead Conspiracy to Commit Theft By Deception, Second Degree. 

GoFundMe spokeswoman said that “we take the misuse of our platform very seriously.”

“While the overwhelming majority of people use our platform every day to help others, we are aware that bad actors do exist and will attempt to take advantage of people’s generosity,” The statement stated. It added that GoFundMe was responsible for financing this event. “refunded 100 percent of all donations through our GoFundMe Giving Guarantee and, as we always do, we worked closely with law enforcement to ensure justice was done.”

GoFundMe must also be fully repaid by the couple.