MOUNT HOLLY – The criminal case against a former South Jersey man ended Friday when he was sentenced to five years in state prison for his role in a notorious crowdfunding scheme.
Mark D’Amcio’s former girlfriend and a homeless Philadelphia man were also parties to the 2017 hoax that defrauded more than 14,000 donors and netted $402,000 meant to help down-and-out veteran, Johnny Bobbitt Jr.
All three defendants were charged and later pleaded guilty to various federal and state crimes in connection with the scam. Only two of six total sentencings for them remain — one for D’Amico’s former girlfriend, Katelyn McClure, 32, of Bordentown, and another for Bobbitt.
More:Attorney: GoFundMe scam started with good intentions and then …
The three launched the scheme by posting a fictitious online story that Bobbitt had used his last $20 to buy gas for McClure when her car ran out of it on I-95 in Philadelphia. The original GoFundMe goal was $10,000, ostensibly to help Bobbitt with living expenses.
But, the feel-good nature of the story captured national attention and soon the crowdfunding campaigned swelled to a six-figure payday for the trio.D’Amico, 43, formerly of Florence, was not in Superior Court for Friday’s sentencing because he already is serving a 27-month federal prison sentence in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. McClure is serving a shorter federal prison sentence.
D’Amico and McClure both admitted to using some of the money on…
