GoFundMe scam: A woman claiming to collect for a homeless man risks prison

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Katelyn McClure, 29, pleaded guilty to a robbery leader for second-degree deception on Monday in Burlington County, New Jersey.

In the viral history of 2017 that made headlines in the national press, McClure, a resident of New Jersey, ran out of gas and found himself stuck in the water. Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. The homeless person, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., would have seen and given him his last 20 dollars for gasoline.

McClure and her boyfriend of the time, Mark D 'Amico, published an article on "good action" on social networks, including a photo of her with Bobbitt on a sling. access. They also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the homeless, saying they wanted to pay him to the good Samaritan and get him out of the street.

Bobbitt pleaded guilty at the local level to a conspiracy charge to commit a robbery last Friday. He is facing a five-year probationary period that requires him to join the Court of Addiction Court of the Superior Court, where he will have to find a job and join a structured plan. treatment and recovery services. All offenses could result in a five-year sentence, according to Joel Bewley, spokesman for the Burlington County Attorney's Office.

CNN asked Bobbitt's lawyer to comment, but did not get an answer.

A homeless man and a woman in the Good Samaritan's viral history plead guilty to federal charges

Bobbitt and McClure agreed to testify against Amico, who has not yet pleaded in Burlington County Court for robbery and conspiracy to commit theft with second-degree fraud. His case is expected to be presented next month to a Burlington County grand jury in view of a possible indictment.

Both McClure and Bobbitt also pleaded guilty to federal charges in early March.

D'Amico is currently not the subject of federal charges.

McClure's attorney said that she had tried to stop the GoFundMe page and that D'Amico would not have left it.

"We always said that Mr. Amico was the real provocative agent in this case.

From the beginning, Kate's role was to help Mr. Bobbitt, "said McClure's lawyer, Jim Gerrow.

"Kate has been strong, she has been devastated by all of this, but we are looking at convictions in federal and state courts and hope to find enough evidence to convince both judges of her role and the fact that she reason, his hope of helping Johnny Bobbitt and not getting rich or enriching anyone, "Gerrow said.

The couple transferred the funds to their bank account and bought a BMW, expensive handbags and travel, including casinos in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada, according to court documents.

McClure transferred $ 25,000 from his bank account to Bobbitt in December 2017, federal prosecutors said. According to Burlington County Attorney Scott Coffina, he received $ 75,000 in total.

GoFundMe has since repaid thousands of people who donated to Bobbitt. Both Bobbitt and McClure must repay the money from the restitution, in accordance with the plea agreements of their state courts.

The story began to collapse after Bobbitt sued McClure and Amico, accusing them of withholding money raised on his behalf.

"In reality, McClure has never run out of gas and Bobbitt has never spent his last 20 bucks for it," according to a press release from the US Attorney's Office. "Amico and McClure would have conspired to create the false story in order to get money from donors."

Federal cases have not been resolved. McClure could be sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined $ 250,000 after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit an electronic fraud. She will be sentenced on June 19th.

Bobbitt could be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail and fined $ 250,000 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to launder money. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Janet DiGiacomo and Madison Park from CNN contributed to this report.

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