Homeless man at center of GoFundMe scam gets probation
Jim WalshMOUNT HOLLY - Johnny Bobbitt Jr., the homeless man who helped dupe donors of more than $400,000 in a GoFundMe scam, got a chance to turn his life around Friday.
The Philadelphia man received a five-year probationary term, which will include long-term in-patient treatment for addiction, under the state's Drug Court program.
He also is expected to cooperate with the prosecution of his alleged accomplices, Burlington County residents Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure.
"This is an opportunity that you should take advantage of," Superior Court Judge Christopher Garrenger told Bobbitt at a hearing in Mount Holly.
Bobbitt faces an alternative sentence of five years in state prison if he violates his probation. The prison term would include 18 months without parole eligibility, the judge noted.
Authorities say Bobbitt posed as a good Samaritan in a heart-tugging tale spun by D'Amico, 39, of Bordentown, and McClure, 29.
More:Killer who left blade in victim's head argues prison term too long
More:Medford Lakes soldier Nicholas DiMona III returns home with solemn convoy
The trio falsely claimed Bobbitt spent his last $20 to buy gas for McClure, a stranger whose car had run out of fuel on a Philadelphia highway in November 2017, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.
They then created and promoted a GoFundMe account, saying donations would help Bobbitt get on his feet, authorities allege.
In fact, the prosecutor's office contends D'Amico and McClure knew Bobbitt through their visits to a Philadelphia casino. And the GoFundMe donations primarily funded a spending spree for the New Jersey couple, including the purchase of a BMW and multiple visits to casinos.
More than 14,000 contributors responded to the false story, the prosecutor's office said.
Assistant Prosecutor Andrew McDonnell on Friday described D'Amico and McClure as "the architects" of the scam, but said the ruse "would not have succeeded without his active participation."
McDonnell described Bobbitt's actions as "deplorable," but also noted the defendant's "raging life-long drug addiction."
Bobbitt's drug dependence resulted in his "less-than-honorable discharge" after serving 14 months in the U.S. Marines, McDonnell said.
Bobbitt declined to speak during the hearing.
"He has taken responsiblity for this and is willing to cooperate," said his public defender, John Keesler.
Two poster-sized photos displayed in the courtroom showed Bobbitt smiling with D'Amico and McClure, images that were widely publicized during the campaign.
The scheme unraveled in August 2018 when an attorney sued on Bobbitt's behalf, claiming the homeless man was owed nearly $200,000 in GoFundMe donations.
"The entire campaign was predicated on a lie," Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said in November, when he announced charges against the trio of theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft.
Bobbitt admitted guilt to the conspiracy charge last month under a plea agreement.
He will participate in a diversionary program for drug users typically charged with non-violent crimes.
"Participants in the program must obtain employment and adhere to a tightly-structured
regimen of treatment and recovery services, are frequently tested for drug use," the prosecutor's office noted in a statement.
"This sentence affords him the chance to turn his life around," said Coffina , who described Bobbitt as "the face" of a fraudulent campaign.
"We wish him well in the program," Coffina said in a statement Friday.
Bobbitt failed in an effort to address his problems after being released from custody late last year.
Superior Court Judge Mark Tarantino released a smiling Bobbitt at a Dec. 14 detention hearing, but said the homeless man had to stop using drugs, establish an address and meet other conditions.
Tarantino ordered Bobbitt's arrest after he ignored those conditions and missed a Jan. 8 court hearing.
Bobbitt was arrested the next day in Philadelphia and has been held in Burlington County Jail since his extradition to South Jersey on Jan. 28.
Bobbitt and McClure also pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy charges in federal court, Camden. They await sentencing.
Bobbitt admitted he had conspired to commit money laundering. McClure, a Bordentown resident, said she conspired to commit wire fraud.
No federal charges are pending against D'Amico, who lives in Florence.
Garrenger said a decision still is to be made on Bobbitt's ability to pay restitution to GoFundMe.com, which has refunded all donations.
The fundraising website is out $412,706 due to the scam, he said.
McDonnell also noted a likely loss of trust among people who might be asked to donate to a needy person in the future.
He said the trio's deceit "rocks the very foundation of people's confidence in charitable causes."
Jim Walsh: @jimwalsh_cp; 856-486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com
Also in South Jersey