A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty Monday for helping to cheat thousands of GoFundMe donors over $ 400,000 with what the authorities called a "fairy tale story".
Katelyn McClure, 29, has pled guilty to robbery for deception and will serve a four-year sentence in a state prison, the Burlington County Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Prosecutors said that McClure and Mark D'Amico, 39, had fabricated the "beautiful story" about a 36-year-old homeless veteran, Johnny Bobbitt, who had given the couple $ 20 after a gasoline outage on Highway 95.
McClure and D & # 39; Amico created a GoFundMe campaign that aimed to raise $ 10,000 to take Bobbitt out of the street.
The couple at the time collected $ 402,000 from 14,000 donors – a sum the authorities say they spent quickly on gambling, a BMW and a trip to Las Vegas, among others.
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The GoFundMe scandal of veteran homeless Johnny Bobbitt
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Kate McClure and Johnny Bobbitt, Navy veteran, homeless.
(Photo: GoFundMe)
MEGYN KELLY TODAY – HUI – Pictured: Mark D & Amico, Kate McClure and Megyn Kelly on Monday August 27, 2018 – (Photo: Nathan Congleton / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Attempts to contact Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico were unsuccessful. No signs of intrusion are found in front of their … https://t.co/xjeU8lY8lC
MEGYN KELLY TODAY – HUI – Pictured: Mark D & Amico, Kate McClure and Megyn Kelly on Monday August 27, 2018 – (Photo: Nathan Congleton / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
ICYMI: EDITORIAL: "We do not know who's at fault here, everyone probably, but rather than condemn, let's congratulate … https://t.co/ZdYIGGLmaP
MEGYN KELLY TODAY – HUI – Pictured: Mark D & Amico, Kate McClure and Megyn Kelly on Monday August 27, 2018 – (Photo: Nathan Congleton / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
ALL GONE: Kate McClure and Mark D 'Amico, the people who tried to help John Bobbitt get up, were in order … https://t.co/V6yLaNR1c0
Johnny Bobbitt, a homeless man, has just won a lawsuit after Kate McClure and her boyfriend allegedly abused … https://t.co/0TAK8LtMJA
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Bobbitt pleaded guilty in March to second-degree robbery and was admitted to an addiction treatment program last week, the prosecutor's office said.
Bobbitt and McClure have agreed to pay $ 402,000 in restitution and to testify against Amico, who is also expected to face charges of theft and conspiracy in the case, authorities said.
The prosecutor's office said that these charges would be presented to a grand jury next month with a view to a possible indictment.
A lawyer who represented D'Amico did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
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