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A Marine Corps veteran accused of contributing to the scam of nearly half a million dollars in a scam at the GoFundMe would be on the run after being absent at a court appearance in New Jersey.
Police say they're looking for Johnny Bobbitt Jr., who was released from prison last month on condition of wearing an electronic surveillance device and attending meetings of Narcotics Anonymous
This 35-year-old man was scheduled to appear Tuesday in a Burlington County hearing room, but did not appear, authorities said. The judge of the Superior Court of the State, Mark Tarantino, has since issued an arrest warrant against Bobbitt.
His lawyer, John Keesler, told the Associated Press that he had spoken to Bobbitt on Friday and had expected his client to appear in court.
arrested in November and charged with conspiring with Kate McClure, 28, and her former boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, 39, to scam DonFundMe donors over $ 400,000.
The authorities claimed that the trio had fabricated a history of well-being. about Bobbitt, claiming that the former Marine, despite his homelessness, had given his last dollars to McClure when she had broken down gasoline on the I-95 outside of Philadelphia in 2017. The story became viral online, pushing more than 14,000 people to donate to the campaign. .
The total amount available after deducting GoFundMe's expenses is approximately $ 360,000. Since then, GoFundMe has repaid all those who donated to the campaign.
Bobbitt, McClure and D'Amico deny having committed a wrongdoing. The defendants are accused of theft by deception, prosecutors said. If they are found guilty, they risk up to ten years in prison.
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