Johnny Bobbitt Jr. faces up to 10 years in prison and Kate McClure faces up to 20 years.
ADVERTISEMENTA homeless Philadelphia man and a New Jersey woman who concocted a GoFundMe scam that raked in more than $400,000 pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday.
Johnny Bobbitt, Jr., who was supposed to be the beneficiary of the donations, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kate McClure pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud.
Bobbit faces up to 10 years in prison and McClure faces up to 20 years.
In November 2017, McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, created a GoFundMe they said would help Bobbitt, who was homeless at the time, after he gave McClure his last $20 when she was stranded on a freeway in Philadelphia.
After what was portrayed as a heartwarming tale, the story started to unravel as the three publicly feuded over the money. Bobbitt filed suit, accusing the couple of withholding most of the GoFundMe money he was owed, which led authorities to investigate the case.
In November 2018, prosecutors released more than 60,000 messages between McClure and D'Amico from their iPhones detailing their financial woes, and how they allegedly got Bobbitt in on the ruse. The couple is accused of spending the money on a BMW and luxury goods and vacations to Florida and Las Vegas, among other things.
All three still face charges of second-degree theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception in a case brought by Burlington County prosecutors.
In December, GoFundMeannounced that it had given refunds to all donors who contributed to the campaign.
Bobbitt, 36, is currently being held at Burlington County Jail.