Johnny Bobbitt, a homeless veteran, was recently scammed by Kate McClure, a Florence New Jersey resident, and her boyfriend Mark D’Amico.

D’ Amico had run out of gas on a trip to Philadelphia and the homeless man offered the couple his last $20. In return, the couple decided to start a GoFundMe for Bobbitt, which raised over $400,000.

On November 2017, the couple posted to social media that they were paying it forward to the homeless man. They set a goal of $10,000 to help Bobbitt get back on his feet. They then went on a social media blitz for months after, bringing in forty times the amount they originally had set.

They are both being charged with conspiracy and theft by deception. Bobbitt was questioned about the incident and had a lot to say about the situation. Bobbitt says he only ¨received small portions of the donations.¨ Bobbitt is now back on the streets and is fighting for the rest of the donations. “I think that it’s really messed up, I have always looked at GoFundMe as a platform to raise money for a good cause and after this it just makes me upset about the things people will do for money,” said Senior Malisa Genuardi. 

¨I hate how to has come to this and I didn’t want to be pressured to lawyer because I didn’t want it to look like I was ungrateful,¨ Bobbitt explains that he did not want to hire outside help for getting his money back because he didn’t want the world to think he was ungrateful for the opportunities the couple had given him.

McClure had recorded an argument she had with boyfriend, Mark D´Amico. In the recording, the couple is fighting over the donations and they talk about who will take the fall if they got caught. The lawyer of McClure says, ¨From the start, Kate thought she was helping a veteran who was homeless and that Mr. D’Amico was the one behind this and he was calling all the shots.”

Although the couples fate is not yet determined, Bobbitt was released and is still fighting for the donations that have been collected over the past year.