GUILTY NJ - Homeless Veteran helps stranded motorist, Motorist keeps $400k of funding, Aug 2018 *Arrests*

[PrairieWind]

Their guarantee suggests organizer is supposed to deliver funds to the beneficiary.

"We honor the generosity of donors. If there is a campaign on your behalf and the organizer fails to deliver any of the funds, then we will donate the difference.*
https://www.gofundme.com/guarantee-refund-policy

JJenny I have to agree. has sort of made conflicting statements. I think it had been not uncommon to give the money to the organizer, not the beneficiary. Though that may now change.

 

[PrairieWind]

If he got all the money, without oversight, it presumably still would have been a disaster, considering he is a drug addict.

It very well may have been a disaster. However, it was his money. If the couple wanted to put strings on the money, they should have listed the beneficiary as a trust for Bobbitt, then had an actual trust set up for him. But they didn't.

I just can't help but shake my head at this couple. I gave them the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but now I don't think there is much doubt. Did they really think they could just take that money and no one would know or care? I do wonder if the man's gambling had a big roll in this. Maybe he thought he could use that money to place a big bet, win, skim off the proceeds and put the $400,000 back. But, instead he lost.

 

[whisperOFwings]

Police Raid Home

Couple quotes from the article:

Footage taken from the scene showed a shiny, black BMW car being towed away

Other videos showed D’Amico hitting golf balls off the lawn surrounding the home (while they are searching the home) and bags of items being loaded into a law enforcement vehicle.

In court, McClure and D'Amico's attorney, Ernest Badway, said about $200,000 had gone to Bobbitt, but Dow said Badway indicated he was "misadvised" by his clients and that later the court learned there was no money left. She said she wants them to appear in person. Neither the couple nor Bobbit was in court Wednesday.

Good take that BMW back from them and everything else they bought

At link...

GoFundMe released a statement Tuesday that says any money that was misspent will be guaranteed by the company.

Does this mean GoFundMe can sue this couple to recoup the money they are giving to Mr. Bobbitt?

 

[Soulmagent]

I wish they have made this whole thing a reality show. I would love to watch the couples lives implode. If todays raid on their house was live I would have been glued to the the screen . I hope the trial is aired on live stream. I just giggle thinking about him hitting golf balls in the yard while they tow off the bmw, and search the house.

I do kinda feel bad for the homeless vet. However 75 grand is a lot to go though in a year . I mean I don't feel like he was completely screwed over . He was screwed over but in the process he received a lot of money.

 

[PrairieWind]

Bobbitt is going to get the rest of the money. I think 's statement assures that, even if pays him. I sure hope he can be wise with the money. He will have a real chance to get his life back on track, but he will also have a lot of new "friends" as well as his own demons to deal with.

 

[jjenny]

It very well may have been a disaster. However, it was his money. If the couple wanted to put strings on the money, they should have listed the beneficiary as a trust for Bobbitt, then had an actual trust set up for him. But they didn't.

I just can't help but shake my head at this couple. I gave them the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but now I don't think there is much doubt. Did they really think they could just take that money and no one would know or care? I do wonder if the man's gambling had a big roll in this. Maybe he thought he could use that money to place a big bet, win, skim off the proceeds and put the $400,000 back. But, instead he lost.

When she opened the GoFundMe, it was promised that trusts will be set up for him, not that money will go directly to him.

 

[jjenny]

JJenny I have to agree. has sort of made conflicting statements. I think it had been not uncommon to give the money to the organizer, not the beneficiary. Though that may now change.

I think they normally give money to the organizer. Organizer is the one who provides information when setting up the campaign. So in most cases beneficiarly wouldn't be even able to log into the campaign, unless organizer gives them the log in information. Their refund policy implies organizer is responsible for transferring funds to the beneficiary. Of course in their recent statement they claimed beneficiary is the one who is usually getting the money. So go figure this one out.

 

[jjenny]

Do we really know he is a drug addict? There may be sources out there and I welcome them. I have only seen the couple claim that so far though.

And honestly, it's his money regardless. If he got a few hundred thousand dollars and spent it all on drugs and was still on the streets and broke (or had overdosed), that's kind of up to him. It wasn't the couple's right to control the funds. People gave willingly to him because of his actions, the donors had every right to question whether he would use the funds on drugs or not and still chose to give.

I have been involved with recovery organizations for about 10 years and I will just say, I don't know a single drug addict who was using that would give $20 away to anyone. JMO.

Yes, that has been reported numerous time and his own lawyer confirms it since his client is going to enter rehab. If he got that much money to himself without oversight, he might end up not being alive. When the GoFundMe campaign was set, promises were made not that he will directly get the money, but that trusts will be set up for him.

 

[2Hope4]

They need to replace all the money, PLUS interest! Then they need to sit in prison and think about their actions .

 

[jjenny]

Wow. Allegedly promising to write him a check if he got rid of his lawyers. I guess that check was going to bounce, since apparently they don't have any actual money left.

"On a nationally broadcast talk show last Monday, D'Amico said there was $150,000 remaining. Court records reveal that D'Amico allegedly texted Bobbitt after the broadcast and wrote, in part, "Yo, I say I get rid of my team of lawyers, you get rid of yours, and Kate and I write you a check. Seriously.""
Police search home of GoFundMe couple in New Jersey

 

[jjenny]

Good take that BMW back from them and everything else they bought


Does this mean GoFundMe can sue this couple to recoup the money they are giving to Mr. Bobbitt?

I presume so. If GoFundMe wants its money back, it will have to go after whatever this couple has, since Bobbit himself is presumably going to get his money from GoFundMe.

 

[TeaTime]

Well, the money wasn't going to do what the donors thought it would. He wasn't going to come off the street or the drugs. In one year he had a camper to live in and $75K - $200K to spend and he is no better off now than he was when he gave her that $20.

He'll be dead in a year with all that money.

Reality.

The money was just too tempting and they just couldn't let it go for drugs. I get it. But, it didn't belong to them.

I would give about 0.00 to any .

 

[jjenny]

I think "not wanting it to go to drugs" is just an excuse they had as to why he didn't get the money. They were claiming they had money left but wouldn't give it to him because he would spend it on drugs, but apparently they didn't actually have these money left.
As for having a camper to live in, camper wasn't in his name and it wasn't on his property, so when he was asked to leave the property, he now had no place to live. Camper isn't the same as a home. At least if they were going to buy him a camper instead of a house, they could have purchased him a place in a trailer park.

 

[gregjrichards]

Good take that BMW back from them and everything else they bought


Does this mean GoFundMe can sue this couple to recoup the money they are giving to Mr. Bobbitt?

I cheered when I saw the BMW being taken away from these two grifters. I am glad it looks like GoFundMe is going to help the homeless man. This has been terrible publicity for them and it must be a real concern people will stop donating to causes which impacts their business.

 

[gregjrichards]

Well, the money wasn't going to do what the donors thought it would. He wasn't going to come off the street or the drugs. In one year he had a camper to live in and $75K - $200K to spend and he is no better off now than he was when he gave her that $20.

He'll be dead in a year with all that money.

Reality.

The money was just too tempting and they just couldn't let it go for drugs. I get it. But, it didn't belong to them.

I would give about 0.00 to any .

Not all GoFundMe’s are badly run. I have donated to a few one was the hockey bus crash in Canada as I felt so upset for the victims. That one is being properly run by fund administrators and legal people so the money goes to where it is needed. But I agree that not all are run properly.

 

[jjenny]

Not all GoFundMe’s are badly run. I have donated to a few one was the hockey bus crash in Canada as I felt so upset for the victims. That one is being properly run by fund administrators and legal people so the money goes to where it is needed. But I agree that not all are run properly.

Most probably don't collect that much money either. When this campaign started, the goal was $10,000 to get him some rent money. It went viral and a lot more money were donated than presumably any of them expected. They might have been all better off if all they got was $10,000. I think the woman originally had good intentions, but when all these money were donated, it was too much temptation. Money is a root of all evil.

 

[Seattle1]

Homeless Philadelphia man Johnny Bobbitt will get his $400G, GoFundMe says

Johnny Bobbitt, the homeless military veteran who had $400,000 raised for him by well-wishers, will receive the full amount of money even though those behind the fundraiser allegedly squandered it.

GoFundMe, along with law firm Cozen O'Connor, said Thursday that Bobbitt will receive the balance of what he was not given of the hundreds of thousands raised for him in late 2017, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

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 read. "GoFundMe's goal has always been to ensure Johnny gets support he deserves."

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office confirmed in a Facebook post Thursday that because of "enormous public interest," McClue and D'Amico are under investigation, but no charges have been filed.
Homeless Philadelphia man Johnny Bobbitt will get his $400G, GoFundMe says

 

[Seattle1]

TY for the link. The drug addiction is mentioned here.


Does anyone know who Fallon is? The article only mentions the name this one time, without identifying who it is.

Chris Fallon is Johnny Bobbitt's attorney.

 

[JerseyGirl]

In the months since the fundraiser was launched, McClure posted pictures online from a New Year's Eve party in Las Vegas, helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon and from the front row of a Broadway show, as well as shopping sprees and gambling.

Search Warrant For NJ Couple, Homeless Vet's $400K GoFundMe
Attorney For Homeless Man: All The Money In GoFundMe Fundraiser For Him Is Gone

But Bobbitt's lawyer said he had received only about $75,000, which includes the value of a camper and a 1999 Ford Ranger.

The couple also bought Bobbitt a camper with some of the cash and parked it on land McClure's family owns in New Jersey. But Bobbitt became homeless again after D'Amico told him in June that he had to leave the property.

D'Amico has said Bobbitt spent $25,000 in less than two weeks last year on drugs as well as paying for overdue legal bills and sending money to family.

Police Search NJ Couple's Home in $400K GoFundMe Case

 

[MicheleT]

Did couple who raised $400K for vet commit a crime? Here's what charges they could face
This article talks about what charges they may face.

Anything more than $75,000 would make the crime a second-degree theft charge, compared to a third-degree charge, which carries a lesser sentence.

More at the link