The $400,000 raised through a GoFundMe account to support a homeless veteran in Philadelphia after he gave his last bit of money to help a stranded motorist is reportedly drained.
A lawyer representing Johnny Bobbitt, whose story garnered national attention last year after he gave Kate McClure his last $20 to fill up her gas tank, told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that news of the depleted account came as a complete surprise.
Chris Fallon, the lawyer, said he became aware of the financial standing of his clients account after a conference call with attorneys for McClure and her boyfriend Mark DAmico the couple who started the GoFundMe account for Bobbitt after his kind gesture, promising him a home.
"It completely shocked me when I heard," Fallon told the paper.
Bobbitts attorneys requested that the couple remain in New Jersey, surrender their passports, post a bond and restrict access to their bank accounts after they failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to deliver any remaining money from the GoFundMe account, according to the paper.
Last week, Superior Court Judge Paula T. Dow ordered the couple to wire the remaining funds to a trust for Bobbitt, and submit an accounting report of the donated money within 24 hours.
Bobbitt has received roughly $75,000 dollars of the funds, which he used to purchase a camper and SUV both of which he no longer has, the paper reported.
DAmico told the paper during an interview in August that the he controls the money in the account, and that he would dispense the funds when Bobbitt gets a job and stops using drugs.
"Giving him all that money, it's never going to happen. I'll burn it in front of him," he said, adding that giving an "addict" the money would be like "giving him a loaded gun."
Bobbitt admitted to the paper that the couple once gave him $25,000 and he spent it on giving it to relatives and friends, and some on drugs.
Fallon told the paper on Tuesday that his client hopes to enter a residential detoxification program.
Bobbitt, who questions the couple's motives and fears they may have squandered the money, claims they used the funds to buy a new BMW and take lavish vacations. He also questions if the couple has the legal authority to deny him the money.
Three lawyers are representing Bobbitt pro bono.
Jacqueline Promislo, another lawyer for Bobbitt said the couples lawyer, Ernest E. Badway, never responded regarding the request to transfer the remaining GoFundMe funds or if the money had been moved, according to the paper.
The paper could not reach McLure or DAmico for comment.
Badway declined to comment to Fox News late Tuesday.
The couple earlier said the new car was paid for with their own money. McLure, who is a receptionist, and DAmico, who is a carpenter, said they have done nothing wrong and did everything they could to help Bobbitt.
Badway claimed in court last week that Bobbitt stole at least $200,000 of the funds since the account was created, the paper reported. He also argued the court-order to wire the money within 24 hours was a harsh remedy.
A hearing regarding the disputed funds is scheduled to take place Wednesday at 10 a.m., the paper reported.
GoFundMe has donated $20,000 into an escrow account created by Bobbitts attorneys to help with housing and goods as the legal proceedings continue, a spokesman told the paper on Tuesday.
The company also said it is cooperating with the investigation.
#1: Justified To: All (#0)
Sad turn of events. 1 destroyed life turned into at least 2 more!
Justified posted on 2018-09-05 07:44:54 Reply Private Reply
#2: CZ82 To: Justified (#0)
CZ82 posted on 2018-09-05 07:54:31 Reply Private Reply
#3: Deckard To: Justified (#1)
Looks to me that these two grifters took advantage of a homeless man and illegally used the funds they claim to have raised to help him to subsidize their own extravagant lifestyle.
In effect, they stole money from the poor and from all of those who donated money to the cause.
Deckard posted on 2018-09-05 08:48:32 Reply Private Reply
#4: Justified To: Deckard (#3)
Justified posted on 2018-09-05 08:54:14 Reply Private Reply
#5: Deckard To: Justified (#4)
So - you have no problem with a couple stealing from a "druggie"?
Got it.
Deckard posted on 2018-09-05 08:55:26 Reply Private Reply
#6: Justified To: Deckard (#5)
Never inferred such a thing.
Until they are found guilty we just assume they stole the money.
Justified posted on 2018-09-05 09:02:14 Reply Private Reply
#7: sneakypete To: Justified (#0)
Gee,I guess that means they are working for free,huh?
You watch,he and the family that set up the fund will both end up owing tens of thousands in attorney fees once the dust settles.
sneakypete posted on 2018-09-05 09:19:06 Reply Private Reply
#8: sneakypete To: Deckard (#3)
I agree,but it makes not one bit of difference. Bobbit would have probably spent/thrown it away even quicker. That money or any other amount of money was ever in any danger of getting him back on his feet,so what difference does it make who threw it away?
You can NOT give money to a junkie/drunk/addict and expect him or her to do anything with it other than overdose. No amount of money can solve their problems. There is a "Switch" inside their heads that must be flipped before they become anything more than death waiting to happen,and the ONLY one that can do this is themselves.
sneakypete posted on 2018-09-05 09:24:43 Reply Private Reply
#9: sneakypete To: Deckard (#5)
I don't. Anybody that gave him money HAD to expect it to be stolen by somebody,either that couple,lawyers,or relatives.
You are basically doing nothing but throwing money away when you give it to an addict.
As for the couple,they are going to pay for using that money like it was theirs,so everything ends up the way most of us knew it was going to end.
sneakypete posted on 2018-09-05 09:27:25 Reply Private Reply
#10: Fred Mertz To: Justified (#0)
I would be very careful before donating to any GoFundMe cause.
I read about a horse rescue scandal of sorts yesterday. Tugging at heart strings can be a good way of scamming money:
www.paulickreport.com/new...out-louisiana-non-profit/
Fred Mertz posted on 2018-09-05 10:52:42 Reply Private Reply
#11: Deckard To: sneakypete, Justified (#9)
Homeless Philadelphia Veteran Johnny Bobbitt will get his $400G, GoFundMe says
Bobbitt was homeless and addicted to drugs in November when he gave his last $20 to Kate McClure
What kind of "addict" gives away his last $20?
Seems to me that Bobbit has more integrity than both of you self-righteous pricks combined.
Deckard posted on 2018-09-07 21:54:47 Reply Private Reply
#12: sneakypete To: Deckard (#11)
One that is by nature a friendly person,and who has just scored and has not one worry in the world.
And Go Fund Me will end up setting up an account with the money in it that is handled by a Go Fund Me lawyer to keep the junkie from drawing it all out of the bank and being broke in a couple of week.
Chances are the junkie,being a junkie will OD within a year now that he has regular access to "x-amount" of dollars each month,and any balance left in the bank will go back to You Fund Me once he dies.
Junkies are NOT junkies because they have an enormous amount of either willpower OR common sense. It is not a career path any reasonable and reasoning person would pick.
sneakypete posted on 2018-09-08 09:38:57 Reply Private Reply