Tag: GoFundme
Homeless vet, couple allegedly made up story for GoFundMe scam
The New Jersey couple who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in a viral charity campaign for a homeless man were allegedly working with the vagrant as part of an elaborate ruse, according to a new report.
Prosecutors believe that Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure conspired with homeless man Johnny Bobbitt to create their get-rich-quick scheme in 2017, NBC’s Philadelphia affiliate reported Wednesday.
The couple turned themselves in to authorities Wednesday, but Bobbitt was still at large, the news station said.
According a source who spoke to the news outlet, which said it had a copy of a criminal complaint, all three are expected to face charges of conspiracy and theft by deception for working together to create the ruse. The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to make an announcement in the case Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Prosecutors did not immediately return a call for comment, and reps for the couple and Bobbitt were not available.
McClure, 28, and D’Amico, 39, created a GoFundMe page in November 2017, claiming homeless drug addict Bobbitt spent his last $20 to fill up McClure’s empty gas tank after her car broke down on I-95 near Philadelphia.
The charity campaign exploded, raising tens of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting donors in a matter of days — and ultimately shooting up to more than $400,000.
“It has changed my entire outlook about people, my outlook about people has skyrocketed,” McClure said of the donations at the time.
Their plan began to unravel in August of this year, when Bobbitt sued the couple, claiming they were withholding funds raised on the GoFundMe from him.
McClure and D’Amico, both of Florence Township, NJ, accused Bobbitt of being on drugs and refused to pay him until he was clean.
Article via NYPost
O.C. Restaurant Manager Beaten Unconscious After He Refused to Give 2 Men Free Pizza, Friend Says
The Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed two men were booked into jail in connection with the assault, which left the man unconscious and with a serious head injury.
Officers located the victim in the 300 block of Pacific Coast Highway just before 1 a.m. Sunday after being contacted about a fight in the area, according to a police news release.
The victim, a 33-year-old man who managed Thunder Burgrz Pizza at 126 Main St., suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to a local hospital, the release stated.
His condition was not immediately known, but a friend told KTLA he had been placed in a medically induced coma. The friend, who wanted to remain anonymous, identified the restaurant manager only as Garret.
Two men who were detained at the scene were booked into city jail after police interviewed them and other witnesses in the case, according to the release.
Bryce Anthony Mezich, 21, of Anaheim, was booked into on suspicion of assault with serious bodily injury — a felony — and fighting in public; Austin Wright Callan, 22, of Anaheim, was booked on suspicion of fighting in public, the release stated.
Police would not confirm how the fight started, but the friend — who witnessed the incident — said it began when two men demanded free pizza, which Garret refused to give them. The friend said when the victim left the restaurant later, the pair jumped Garret and beat him unconscious.
A GoFundMe has been set up to pay for the victim’s medical bill and rehab.
“Garret’s just kind of that downtown Huntington Beach staple. He’s always down here, he’s always cheery, running around, saying ‘hi’ to everybody. High energy, super nice guy,” the friend said. “The fact that these guys did this, utter disrespect. I’m just glad we got them.”
The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call Huntington Beach police at 714-536-5951.