Katelyn McClure Wiki, Biography
On Friday, a New Jersey woman, later identified as Katelyn McClure, was sentenced to three years in state prison after being convicted of participating in a large GoFundMe scam. She is currently in a Connecticut prison serving a one-year federal sentence in the same case.
According to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, McClure’s state sentence will run concurrently. In addition, the 32-year-old former New Jersey Department of Transportation worker will be permanently barred from working as a public employee in the state.
In 2017, Katelyn McClure, along with her then-boyfriend Mark D’Amico, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud after they were caught defrauding more than 14,000 donors out of $400,000 to help a homeless veteran in Philadelphia.
The money raised through the fundraiser was mostly spent on personal expenses and never reached veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr. In December 2019, Mark D’Amico pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in state prison. Both Katelyn McClure and Mark D’Amico have been ordered to reimburse GoFundMe.
Burlington County Attorney LaChia Bradshaw said in a statement:
“Our hope is that trials like this serve to deter criminals from such deceptive actions, but not to discourage people from caring for those who are in crisis as a result of tragedy, or who simply need a helping hand after experiencing difficulties or setbacks.”
Donors were led to believe their donations would help Johnny Bobbitt Jr. buy a new home
In 2017, a 32-year-old former New Jersey Department of Transportation worker and her then-boyfriend created a false humanitarian story about a homeless veteran who had lent McClure his last $20 to help fill her gas tank while she was away. stranded on I-95 in Philadelphia.
The GoFundMe fundraiser, which was titled “Paying it Forward,” led donors to believe that the donations would be used to get Johnny Bobbitt Jr. a new home. The veteran in question, however, remained on the sidelines for a long time.
The fundraiser and the story behind it immediately gained traction with the media and the couple was interviewed multiple times. In less than a month, Katelyn McClure and her partner raised a whopping $400,000, none of which reached the homeless veteran.
According to authorities, the money from the donations was transferred directly to personal bank accounts and, in less than three months, the couple had used most of the donated money for personal expenses that had nothing to do with Johnny Bobbitt Jr.
It was only in December 2017 that the man at the center of the whole story was informed of the plan. Police officers reported that D’Amico then opened a bank account for Bobbitt and D’Amico and Katelyn McClure deposited less than $100,000 into the account.
The investigations began when Bobbitt Jr. sued the couple for not giving him a fair share of the full amount.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said the donations were used by Katelyn McClure and her partner to finance a BMW, casino games, a New Year’s trip to Las Vegas, a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and bags from Louis Vuitton, and they were worn in March. 2018.
Bobbitt Jr. later pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. He was admitted to the New Jersey Court of Recovery program and risks a prison sentence if he violates the terms of the program.
