A man who claimed to be a down on his luck homeless veteran may be a scam artist who conned the public out of donating thousands of dollars to a GoFundMe account, according to a published report.
According to NBC’s Philadelphia affiliate, Johnny Bobbitt, pictured left, teamed up with Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure to create a get-rich-quick scheme to con kindhearted people.
The scam began when McClure claimed her car broke down late one night in a rundown neighborhood off I-95 in Philly. She said Bobbitt came to her aide by giving her his last $20 to buy gas.
McClure created a GoFundMe account to help raise funds to assist the drug addicted “homeless veteran” to get back on his feet.
The public took the bait and soon the GoFundMe scam raised over $400,000.
But the scam fell apart when McClure and D’Amico got greedy and refused to share their windfall with Bobbitt.
The couple bought a new BMW, purchased brand name clothing and went on luxury vacations.
D’Amico, 39, and McClure, 28, both of New Jersey, were taken into custody on Wednesday, but Bobbitt is still at large, according to NBC10.
Police provided the news station with a copy of the criminal complaint. All three are expected to face charges of conspiracy and theft by deception.
