NJ Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in $400K GoFundMe Scam

42-year-old Mark D’Amico, formerly of Bordentown New Jersey, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he and ex-girlfriend Katelyn McClure invented a heartwarming but false story that a homeless vet, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., had just spent his last $20 to help McClure fill up her gas tank while she was stranded on I-95 in Philadelphia. In November 2017, D’Amico and McClure started a GoFundMe campaign titled “Paying it Forward,” which donors believed was to support Bobbitt. Funds were solicited with a goal of $10,000, purportedly to get Bobbitt off the streets and into a home, according to the Department of Justice. The fake story quickly gained traction as it was picked up by local and national media outlets. In less than one month, they had defrauded more than 14,000 donors for $400,000. D’Amico faces a max penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.


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