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Mastermind Of $400K GoFundMe Scam Pleads Guilty

The New Jersey man who created a fake GoFundMe page that cheated donors out of $400,000 pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal with prosecutorsMark D'Amico, 39, entered a guilty plea for one second-degree-felony count of misapplication of entrusted property and faces up to five years behind bars.

D'Amico created a heartwarming story claiming that a homeless veteran, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., had given D'Amico's girlfriend, Kately McClure, his last $20 after her car ran out of gas on a Philadelphia highway. The couple created a GoFundMe page, and the story went viral, and the they managed to raise over $400,000 that was supposed to go to help Bobbitt.

The story turned out to be a lie, and the couple kept most of the money that was raised. They spent the money on themselves, buying designer clothes and going on lavish vacations.

The story began to unravel when Bobbitt sued the couple, claiming he never received his share of the money. As authorities started to investigate the fundraiser, they realized the three had conspired to create the false story and were scamming donors out of their money.

Bobbitt and McClure pleaded guilty in March to theft charges, but prosecutors have since filed new charges against Bobbitt.

GoFundMe closed the page and refunded everybody who donated. The couple will also be required to repay all the money they stole.