Woman rescued by homeless man who gave his last $30, raises $570k for him in return. Source: CBS Philly
In case you missed it: This was one of the Herald's top stories on social media this week.
The homeless veteran who won millions of hearts last year when he used his last $20 to buy a woman gas is back on the streets despite having $400,000 pledged to him because the woman and her boyfriend are keeping the money from him.
Johnny Bobbitt made headlines around the world in November after he used his last money on gas for New Jersey woman Kate McClure.
McClure and her boyfriend Mark D'Amico set up GoFundMe page dedicated to changing Bobbitt's life and it attracted thousands of donations, reports Daily Mail.
They made promises to set up two trusts for him - one which he could draw a salary from and another for his retirement- , vowed to buy him a house, SUV and set him up with a lawyer and a financial adviser.
But nine months on, the couple have admitted to spending $200,000, they say on 'care' for him, and are keeping the remaining $200,000 from Bobbitt because they say he is not responsible enough to have access to it.
Nearly 15,000 people donated $402,000 to get Bobbitt off the street after he used his last $20 to buy McClure gas in Philadelphia. Photo / GoFundMe
"Giving him all that money, it's never going to happen. I'll burn it in front of him," D'Amico said bluntly in a recent interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.
GoFundMe is now working with a team of lawyers who have agreed to work pro-bono for Bobbitt to determine whether the money has been mismanaged.
Instead of a house, which they vowed to buy during appearances on Good Morning America and in the GoFundMe updates section of their page, the couple bought Bobbitt a camper which they put on land owned by McClure's family.
They have since asked him to leave it, claiming he has stolen from them and blown through the few cash handouts they have given him on drugs.
Only half of the $400,000 is left. They insist they haven't spent any money on themselves but the figures do not add up.
In January, the couple went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon where they enjoyed a $500 per person helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. McClure said it was a gift from D'Amico. Photo / Facebook
The couple say they spent $200,000 on the camper, the hotel Bobbitt stayed in beforehand, an SUV, TV, laptop, two cell phones, $25,000 in cash which they claim he blew through and a $30,000 fee taken by GoFundMe.
They've now sold the camper and the SUV but Bobbitt has not received a penny from the sales.
In the meantime, the couple have enjoyed trips to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and McClure has purchased a new BMW. They insist they used their salaries.
He is a carpenter and she works as a receptionist for the state department of transportation. They both say they took 'significant' time off from work to help Bobbitt and they have not explained how they funded their lives during that hiatus.
In April, they took Bobbitt to New York City from New Jersey. They were pictured there together smiling happily for photographs.
The couple say they paid for their trips, her new BMW and his casino trips with their salaries. He is a carpenter and she is a receptionist for the state department of transportation. Photo / Facebook
D'Amico has been arrested on traffic violations and he has also frequented casinos, once dipping into the GoFundMe money to take $500 which he claims he replaced afterwards.
Bobbitt, who said his only dream was to use the money to leave Philadelphia and go back to his home state of North Carolina to buy a plot of land, is back on the streets and has returned to drugs.
He has not been able to donate to homeless causes, as he'd hoped, because he has not been given access.
He says he feels betrayed by the pair and thinks their greed got the better of them once the money started pouring in.
"I think it might have been good intentions in the beginning, but with that amount of money, I think it became greed," he said.
Bobbitt before he became homeless. Photo / GoFundMe
Homeless advocates have enrolled him in two rehab programs to try to rid him of his opioid addiction. He spends $15 a day on drugs and is living beneath a bridge.
When contacted by DailyMail.com on Friday morning, McClure did not immediately respond.
She told The Philly Inquirer she did not want to lose her job over the dispute.
GoFundMe spokesman Bartlett Jackson said the company was investigating the disagreement.
"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," he said.
Bobbitt believes the couple began wanting to help him but that they got carried away with the amount of money raised. Photo / GoFundMe
Nearly 15,000 people donated to the page. It is no longer accepting donations.
In her last update on it, McClure wrote: "Now lets get down to some business. We've received a lot of comments and questions about what Johnny's plans are for this money and how it will be used.
"Hopefully this will answer them while keeping his privacy and the privacy of the people he is helping also.
"The first thing on the list is a NEW Home which Johnny will own!! He will never have to worry about a roof over his head again!! Second will be the dream truck he's always wanted... a 1999 ford ranger (yes I'm serious)."
This is the couple's original plea for donations on GoFundMe. They labelled the page "pay it forward". Photo / Supplied
"There will also be 2 trusts set up in his name, one essentially giving him the ability to collect a small 'salary' each year and another retirement trust which will be wisely invested by a financial planner which he will have access to in a time frame he feels comfortable with so when the time comes he can live his retirement dream of owning a piece of land and a cabin in the country.
"A bank account will be set up for him with funds for every day needs that will get him through until he finds a job. And lastly, he will be donating to a few organizations and people who over the last couple of years have helped him get through this rough patch in his life.
"This is a well thought out plan that Johnny his lawyer and financial advisor came up with in order to give Johnny the means to acclimate back into a "normal" life and also to protect him and ensure he has a bright future."
Bobbitt said he was never given a lawyer and met once with a financial adviser.
