Virtue Signalling Couple Spent All Homeless Vet's $400k GoFundMe Cash
Couple took donations to 'enjoy a lifestyle they could not afford'
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Days after a judge ordered the virtue signaling Jersey couple to pay back the $400,000 they had raised for a homeless veteran, Johnny Bobbitt Jr.'s attorney Chris Fallon has been informed the "money is all gone."
After a lengthy court case, the verdict came down, and a judge on Thursday gave a South Jersey couple under a day to return the money they raised through a GoFundMe campaign for Johnny Bobbitt Jr.
The “feel good story” viral story that hit the headlines when a couple who raised $402k for a homeless vet after he gave stranded Kate McClure his last $20 to buy her some gasoline so that she could get home.
In response, McClure and her boyfriend Mark D’Amico, created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help Bobbitt of the streets, surpassing their original goal of $10,000 to a mega-viral $403,000 0 but kept the money for themselves instead.
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The couple, who paraded they're seemingly 'good dead' to the world's media, took charge of Bobbit's money and bought him things they thought he “needed”.
Bobbit accused the couple of fraud, alleging the two conspired to take large amounts of the donations to "enjoy a lifestyle they could not afford" and using the account as "their personal piggy bank," and asked a judge to appoint a supervisor to manage the money in the fundraising account.
Fallon learned of the missing money in a conference call Tuesday morning with lawyers for Kate McClure and Mark D’Amico.
“It completely shocked me when I heard,” said Fallon.
“It came as a complete surprise to me.”
The news of the missing money came on the same day Bobbitt’s lawyers asked a judge to impose sanctions on the couple after the pair missed a court-ordered deadline to hand over the remaining GoFundMe money.
The couple previously told the Daily News last month they still had $200,000 of the money.
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Bobbitt's attorneys say he received just $75,000, including the cost of the camper and an SUV, both since sold.
D'Amico admitted spending $500 of the GoFundMe money to gamble at SugarHouse Casino
Jacqueline Promislo, one of Bobbitt's three pro bono lawyers, are now considering further legal action.
"We're really concerned about the flight risk."
The lawyer demanded the judge to issue sanctions requiring D'Amico and McClure to surrender their passports, post a bond, and be barred from spending money from their bank accounts.
GoFundMe spokesman Bobby Withorne said that the com[nay deposited $20,000 into the escrow account created by Bobbitt's attorneys to provide assistance for him while the investigations continue.
"We are working with law enforcement officials to ensure Johnny receives all of the funds raised on his behalf," Withorne said.
"While we assist law enforcement with their ongoing investigation, GoFundMe is also working with Johnny's legal team to ensure he's receiving support while the remaining funds are being recovered."
This is how damaging virtue signaling is.
