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More than $400K raised through GoFundMe for homeless man is gone; NJ couple accused of blowing it
A New Jersey couple raised more than $400,000 through a GoFundMe account for homeless man Johnny Bobbitt. Bobbitt recently filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey couple, claiming they mismanaged the funds and blew it on themselves. (Image source: Video screenshot)

More than $400K raised through GoFundMe for homeless man is gone; NJ couple accused of blowing it

More than $400,000 raised through GoFundMe for homeless man Johnny Bobbitt in Philadelphia is gone,  the New York Post reported.

Last Thursday, Superior Court Judge Paula T. Dow ordered Kate McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, to turn over all remaining cash raised through the campaign that was started to help Bobbitt get his life back together. The couple's attorney called Bobbitt's lawyer, Christopher Fallon, earlier this week and told him the money was all gone.

“I’m not sure that I accept that it is all gone,” Fallon said in court Wednesday, the New York Post reported. “We would like to recover any money that is owed to Mr. Bobbitt.”

Bobbitt recently filed a lawsuit against McClure and D’Amico of New Jersey, claiming they mismanaged the funds and blew it on themselves. The couple had reportedly deposited the cash into their personal bank accounts.

On Aug. 30, Dow gave the couple 24 hours to deposit all remaining funds into an escrow account controlled by Bobbitt's legal team, but they never turned over any money.

What's the back story?

The homeless man had come to McClure's rescue when she ran out of gas in a rough Philadelphia neighborhood on Thanksgiving. Bobbitt spent his last $20 to fill her gas tank because she was out of cash. She later repaid him.

But after the former U.S. Marine ended up back on the streets, he filed a lawsuit. He accused McClure and D'Amico of cutting off his access to the money, according to his attorney.

McClure, 28, and D'Amico, 39, said they stopped giving Bobbitt money because he was using drugs and that he ran through $25,000 in one week in December.

In previous interviews, the couple said they had spent about half of the $402,706 on Bobbitt, and they were holding on to the remainder to keep him from spending it on drugs. They denied any wrongdoing.

What did Bobbitt's lawyer say?

Following Wednesday's hearing, Fallon said the judge made it "quite clear that she didn't want any of the lawyers grandstanding" about the case.

He said the parties were issued orders to account for the money.

Their responses are due in court Friday, and the next hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Where did the money go?

It's not yet clear where the money went, but Bobbitt has accused the couple of taking several vacations and purchasing a new BMW for McClure.

What did GoFundMe say?

GoFundMe told KYW-TV that it is working with authorities to make sure Bobbitt receives the money raised for him.

“GoFundMe has given $20,000 to a bank account created by Johnny’s legal team to provide assistance during the investigation,” a GoFundMe spokesperson wrote in a statement to KYW. “It’s important to remember that our platform is backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means that in the rare case that GoFundMe, law enforcement or a user finds campaigns are misused, donors and beneficiaries are protected.”

In cases of fraud, donors are eligible for refunds of up to $1,000, according to GoFundMe's guarantee.

Where is Bobbitt now?

Bobbitt is receiving detoxification treatment in a New Jersey facility, Fallon told the Post.

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