Homeless vet to get all cash raised by
New Jersey couple: GoFundMe
Send a link to a friend
[September 08, 2018]
By Gabriella Borter
(Reuters) - A homeless veteran who spent
his last $20 to help a stranded New Jersey woman will receive the more
than $400,000 which she and her boyfriend raised for him, online
fundraiser GoFundMe and his lawyer said, after the couple was accused of
spending most of the money on themselves.
Johnny Bobbitt, a former U.S. Marine in Philadelphia, sued Katelyn
McClure and Mark D'Amico in August, accusing them of mismanaging funds
raised to repay him for his kindness. He had come to McClure's aid in
November when she ran out of gas while driving on Interstate 95.
The couple said the money would be spent on rent, a vehicle and other
expenses until Bobbitt could find work.
Chris Fallon, Bobbitt's attorney, said by phone on Friday that his
client received only $75,000 of the donations, and that the couple sold
a camper and truck that they bought for him and kept the money.
GoFundMe and Fallon's law firm Cozen O'Connor said in a statement late
on Thursday that the crowdfunding website would ensure that Bobbitt, 35,
receives the rest of the money.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2018/Sep/08/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png)
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/ads/current/fitzpatrick_lda_SPONSOR_2017.png)
"Johnny will be made whole and we're committing that he'll get the
balance of the funds that he has not yet received or benefited
from," the statement said.
Last week, a judge told the couple to place the money in escrow.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2018/Sep/08/images/ads/current/lincolntheatre_sda_031016.png)
Investigators from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office
searched the couple's home on Thursday and were seen removing items
and towing away a BMW car, local media said.
The Burlington County Times cited the couple's lawyer, Ernest
Badway, as saying in court last week that they gave Bobbitt more
than $200,000 and arranged drug treatment appointments and meetings
with lawyers, but that he resisted their help.
Badway declined to comment on Friday.
Fallon said Bobbitt would be entering a drug treatment center on
Friday.
(Reporting by Gabriella Borter in New York; Editing by Richard
Chang)
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |