MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. – A New Jersey woman who took part in a scam to dupe thousands of people hoping to help a homeless veteran, has received a three-year prison term for state charges arising from the fraud.
Katelyn McClure, a former state Department of Transportation worker, also is barred from ever holding another position as a public employee, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Prosecutors said McClure and her then-boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, concocted a good Samaritan story in November 2017, claiming that homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr. had given his last $20 to McClure when her car ran out of gas in Philadelphia.
The couple launched a GoFundMe campaign, ostensibly collecting money to help Bobbitt get his life in order. The campaign, which featured a photo of McClure, D’Amico and Bobbitt outside a gas station, went viral and some 14,000 donors contributed $402,000.
But prosecutors said McClure, 32, and D’Amico, 43, both of Florence, New Jersey, used most of the money for personal expenses, including gambling trips, a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and lavish purchases.
“Within a few months of the campaign’s creation, all of the donated funds had been spent,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Prosecutor:Couple, homeless vet bilked public with made-up story on act of kindness
Today in politics:Kevin McCarthy elected 55th House speaker, quashes GOP rebellion with major concessions
A criminal investigation began after Bobbitt sued McClure and D’Amico in August 2018, claiming he had received only about $75,000.
GoFundMe voluntarily returned the donations to contributors.
McClure, the last defendant to be sentenced in the case, did not attend Friday’s hearing.
She is serving a term of one year and a day at a prison in Connecticut, after pleading guilty last year to a federal charge of theft by deception.
2022:Federal court sentences McClure to 1 year in prison for $400K homeless vet GoFundMe scam
McClure is scheduled for release from federal custody on July 2, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
McClure’s state prison term for theft by deception will run concurrent with her federal sentence, the prosecutor’s office said.
D’Amico and Bobbitt also have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme.
D’Amico is serving a state prison sentence of five years and a concurrent 27-month federal prison sentence.
What’s everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
A federal judge in October 2022 sentenced Bobbitt to three years of supervised probation for money laundering conspiracy. He also was sentenced in state court to a probationary term and in-patient drug treatment.
McClure was sentenced Friday by Superior Court Judge Christopher Garrenger in Mount Holly.
