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GoFundMe Fraudster Sentenced to 27 Months for Homeless Scam

Mark D’Amico, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for concocting a bogus tale that brought in $400,000.

A man in New Jersey who floated a bogus story in 2017 about a homeless man with a heart of gold to raise some $400,000 via GoFundMe was sentenced Friday by a federal judge to serve 27 months in prison. Mark D’Amico, 42, who in November pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, will serve three years probation after he is released, and must pay restitution and complete drug, gambling, and mental health treatment, according to the Associated Press. D’Amico launched the scheme with his former partner, Katelyn McClure, and homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr., concocting a story that Bobbitt happened upon a stranded McClure and gave her $20 to refill her car’s gas tank. But it wasn’t true, and prosecutors said D’Amico and McClure later cut Bobbitt out of the deal and spent the money themselves on fancy vehicles and gambling trips. Bobbitt and McClure have both pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.