Homeless veteran who gave woman his last £15 claims he can't get £150k cash raised on GoFundMe from couple

Kate McClure raised more than £300,000 for Johnny Bobbit Jr
Kate McClure / Gofundme
Ella Wills24 August 2018

A homeless veteran in the United States who used his last £15 ($20) to help a stranded stranger fill up her car has said he has no access to hundreds of thousands of pounds raised in his name.

Johnny Bobbit Jr, 35, made headlines last year when he used his remaining cash to buy petrol for Kate McClure after her car stopped on a Philadelphia motorway.

But Mr Bobbit, once again homeless and addicted to drugs, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he fears the couple squandered much of the money, and claimed that he can't access the remaining funds.

The couple say that in helping Mr Bobbit they have spent or given him more than half of the money and they are withholding the roughly £150,000 ($200,000) remaining balance.

GoFundMe is investigating whether the money was mismanaged.

Ms McClure's boyfriend Mark D'Amico (centre) said he controls the money
Kate McClure/GoFundMe

The couple promised that Mr Bobbit would have a new home, his "dream" 1999 Ford Ranger truck and two trusts set up in his name.

"He will never have to worry about a roof over his head again!!" they posted on GoFundMe as they thanked the 14,347 donors to the crowdfunding page.

They promised that they would set up two trusts for Mr Bobbit - for a yearly salary and retirement fund - and hire a lawyer and financial adviser for him to help manage the money and invest for his future.

Mr Bobbit was given a camper on land Ms McClure's family own that he lived in until June, the Inquirer reported, and he was offered a used SUV, which allegedly broke down.

Mr Bobbit had been living on the streets for 18 months
Kate McClure / Gofundme

The couple said they put the two vehicles in Ms McClure's name so Mr Bobbitt couldn't sell them, but both have allegedly since been sold.

They claimed they spent much of the money on the hotel Mr Bobbit stayed in until they bought the camper and SUV, along with a television, laptop and two mobile phones.

They also paid for food and clothing, they said.

But Mr Bobbit alleged the couple has not spend £150,000 ($200,000) in his name.

Mr Bobbit admitted to the paper that he has returned to using drugs after two stints in rehab and is now back on the streets.

The couple insists they did nothing wrong and that they did all they could to help Mr Bobbitt.

In an interview with the Inquirer last week, Mr D'Amico said he controls the money, which is allegedly in a savings account, and will start dispensing it when Mr 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."

A spokeswoman for GoFundMe said: "GoFundMe is looking into the claims of misuse regarding this campaign. When there is a dispute, we work with all parties involved to ensure funds go to the right place. We will work to ensure that Johnny receives the help he deserves and that the donors intentions are honored. GoFundMe always cooperates with Law Enforcement investigations.

"Additionally, misuse is very rare on our platform. Campaigns with misuse make up less than one tenth of one percent of all campaigns. It’s important to remember that our platform is backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means that in the rare case that GoFundMe, law enforcement or a user finds campaigns are misused, donors are fully protected and will get refunded.

"And if a campaign organiser does not deliver funds to the intended recipient, GoFundMe will donate the undelivered amount to the right person."

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