MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. — A homeless man was sentenced to five years' probation Friday after admitting last month that he conspired with a couple to scam the public out of $400,000 in donations by concocting a feel-good story about him helping a motorist in distress.
Johnny Bobbitt had pleaded guilty in state court to conspiracy to commit theft by deception. Conditions of his sentence include inpatient drug treatment and cooperation with prosecutors against his co-defendants. If he violates those conditions, he will be sentenced to five years in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 18 months.
The story of Bobbitt, a homeless military veteran, giving Katelyn McClure $20 when she ran out of gas on a highway in Philadelphia "was designed to pull at the heartstrings of caring, trusting individuals," Burlington County Assistant Prosecutor Andrew McDonnell said in court, adding that the three exhibited "deplorable behavior."
Bobbitt, clad in an orange prison jumpsuit, declined to make a statement in court.
Prosecutors contend Bobbitt, McClure and McClure's then-boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, made up the story in 2017 and even faked photos of themselves standing on the street at the scene of the purported exchange. Blow-ups of the photos were displayed in court Friday.
The trio gained widespread recognition, and more than 14,000 donors contributed through GoFundMe, ostensibly to help Bobbitt. But it was all a scam, Burlington County prosecutors said, intended to enrich the three co-conspirators.
GoFundMe has said it refunded the donations.
Authorities began investigating last year after Bobbitt sued the couple for allegedly not giving him the money.
