They raised $400,000 for a homeless man -- who claims they spent it on vacations, casinos and a BMW
The act of kindness seemed destined to pull Johnny Bobbitt from the depths of homelessness and drug abuse he struggled with on the day Kate McClure’s car sputtered to a stop in front of him.
She was a motorist on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia who found herself stuck on an off-ramp, scared and out of gas.
He was a homeless veteran who told her to lock her doors, then spent his last $20 on that day in October to bring her a canister of fuel.
Later she sought to repay the favor, first with cereal bars and warm socks and spare dollars, then with a GoFundMe campaign to raise money so the good Samaritan would not have to sleep under a bridge. Bobbitt, she told anyone who would listen, deserved a fresh start.
“I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day,” she said in the GoFundMe campaign, which she and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, crafted in the car after visiting with Bobbitt. “He is such a great guy, and talking to him each time I see him makes me want to help him more and more.”
They hoped the GoFundMe would raise $10,000, but the story resonated. It was featured in national newspapers, including The Washington Post. The pair made an appearance on “Good Morning America" and were interviewed by the BBC — a feel-good story at the start of the holiday season. In a few months, the campaign had raised more than $400,000 from nearly 14,000 donors, and Bobbitt’s prospects had brightened.
But over the past 10 months, the sweet story has soured.
There are accusations of mismanagement and outright theft of the money raised on Bobbitt’s behalf. The GoFundMe cash, Bobbitt suspected, had been squandered on vacations, a luxury car and more than one addiction. And this weekend, the threat of litigation loomed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/they-raised-dollar400000-for-a-homeless-man-—-who-claims-they-spent-it-on-vacations-casinos-and-a-bmw/ar-BBMqBM3?li=BBnb7Kz
