Johnny Bobbitt, left, Kate McClure, and Mark D'Amico last November. Photos / AP
Johnny Bobbitt, left, Kate McClure, and Mark D'Amico last November. Photos / AP
A homeless man whose selfless act of using his last US$20 to fill up the fuel tank of a stranded motorist in Philadelphia got him worldwide attention is suing the couple who led a US$400,000 fundraising campaign to help him.
Johnny Bobbitt says he's concerned that Mark D'Amico and Katie McClure have mismanaged a large part of the donations raised for him on GoFundMe.
The New Jersey couple denies the claims, saying they're wary of giving Bobbitt large sums because they feared he would buy drugs.
Bobbitt's lawsuit contends the couple committed fraud by taking money from the fundraising campaign for themselves.
He's seeking undisclosed damages, and his lawyers want a judge to appoint someone to oversee the account.
A hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for tomorrow.
McClure set up the online fundraiser page as a way to give back to Bobbitt, who came to her aid when she ran out of gas on an Interstate 95 exit ramp late one night.
It raised more than US$400,000 in funds donated by more than 14,000 people.
Bobbitt walked a few blocks to buy McClure petrol. She didn't have money to repay him at the time, but sought him out days later to give him the money, and visited him a few more times to bring food and water. They later appeared on news shows.
But the relationship has since gone sour.
Christopher Fallon, one of Bobbitt's lawyers, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the legal action was taken after D'Amico ignored multiple requests for a full accounting of the money raised by the GoFundMe campaign.
"He's really left us with no choice but to go forward," said Fallon, one of two pro bono lawyers from Cozen O'Connor in Philadelphia whom Bobbitt retained last week.
Johnny Bobbitt now.
McClure and D'Amico have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or misusing any of the money.
D'Amico has said Bobbitt spent US$25,000 in less than two weeks in December on drugs, in addition to paying overdue legal bills and sending money to his family.
The couple also bought Bobbitt a camper with some of the funds and parked it on land McClure's family owns in Florence.
But Bobbitt became homeless again after D'Amico told him in June that he had to leave the property.
During an appearance on Tuesday on NBC's Megyn Kelly Today show, D'Amico told Kelly there was well over US$150,000 left of the donations.
