A fabricated 'last $20 for gas' story that raised $400,000 on GoFundMe
In late 2017, Mark D'Amico, Katelyn McClure and Johnny Bobbitt Jr. invented a story that Bobbitt, a homeless man, gave McClure his last $20 so she could buy gas after running out on Interstate 95 near Philadelphia. The "Paying It Forward" GoFundMe campaign raised more than $400,000 from over 14,000 donors in about a month, almost all of it spent by McClure and D'Amico on an RV, a BMW and casino trips before Bobbitt sued them for his promised share and the fabrication came to light. All three pleaded guilty to state and federal charges; D'Amico was sentenced in April 2022 to 27 months in federal prison.
- Year
- 2022
- Where
- United States
- Outcome
- Sentenced
- Reported loss
- $400,000
- Victims
- 14,000
- Schemes
- Crowdfunding and fake fundraiser scams
- Last reviewed
- 2026-10-11
The facts, as recorded
- The group met near a Philadelphia casino in October 2017, shortly before inventing the story that Bobbitt gave McClure his last $20 for gas on Interstate 95.
- The GoFundMe campaign, titled 'Paying It Forward', raised more than $400,000 from over 14,000 donors in roughly one month in late 2017.
- The federal complaint alleged nearly all the money was spent by March 2018, largely by McClure and D'Amico, on a recreational vehicle, a BMW and casino trips to Las Vegas and New Jersey.
- Bobbitt sued McClure and D'Amico, alleging they had not given him his promised share, which triggered the investigation that exposed the story as fabricated.
- A federal indictment unsealed in January 2020 charged D'Amico with 16 counts: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, four counts of substantive wire fraud and 10 counts of substantive money laundering.
- D'Amico pleaded guilty in state court in 2021, and in November 2021 pleaded guilty in federal court in Camden to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
- On April 1, 2022, US District Judge Noel Hillman sentenced D'Amico to 27 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, and gambling, drug and mental health counselling.
- Katelyn McClure also pleaded guilty to state and federal charges; Johnny Bobbitt Jr. received five years' probation on state charges in 2019 and also pleaded guilty federally.
- GoFundMe said it refunded all of the roughly 14,000 donors after the fabrication was exposed.
The gas-money story
In late 2017, Katelyn McClure, Mark D’Amico and Johnny Bobbitt Jr. told the public that Bobbitt, a homeless man, had given McClure his last $20 so she could buy gas after her car ran out on Interstate 95 near Philadelphia. Investigators later said almost none of it was true: the three had met near a Philadelphia casino shortly before the story appeared.
14,000 donors, one month
The “Paying It Forward” GoFundMe campaign raised more than $400,000 from over 14,000 donors in roughly a month, one of the most widely shared crowdfunding appeals of its time. Nearly all of it was gone by March 2018, spent by McClure and D’Amico on a recreational vehicle, a BMW and casino trips to Las Vegas and New Jersey.
Exposed by a lawsuit, not a background check
The fabrication came to light only after Bobbitt sued McClure and D’Amico, alleging they had not given him the share he was promised. That lawsuit, not any verification by GoFundMe or law enforcement, triggered the investigation that unravelled the story.
Pleas and sentences
A federal indictment unsealed in January 2020 charged D’Amico with 16 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. He pleaded guilty in state court in 2021 and, in November 2021, pleaded guilty in federal court in Camden to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On April 1, 2022, US District Judge Noel Hillman sentenced him to 27 months in federal prison plus restitution and counselling conditions. McClure also pleaded guilty to state and federal charges. Bobbitt received five years’ probation on state charges in 2019 and pleaded guilty federally as well. GoFundMe refunded all of the donors.
The caveat
D’Amico, McClure and Bobbitt all pleaded guilty; this is a concluded case, not an unproven allegation. What is not fully confirmed in public reporting is the exact federal sentence each of McClure and Bobbitt separately received, beyond McClure’s own guilty plea and Bobbitt’s state probation term; this page states only what the cited sources confirm for each defendant.
Sources
- N.J. man in GoFundMe scam gets 27-month federal prison sentence. WHYY. Accessed 2026-10-11. Supports: The fabricated story, the $400,000 raised, the spending on an RV, a BMW and casino trips, Bobbitt's lawsuit triggering the investigation, the state and federal pleas, and D'Amico's April 1 2022 sentencing to 27 months plus restitution and counselling conditions.
- New Jersey man accused in GoFundMe scam faces 16-count federal indictment. WABC-TV (ABC7 New York). Accessed 2026-10-11. Supports: The more than 14,000 donors, the defendants' ages, the 16-count indictment breakdown against D'Amico, and the fabricated Interstate 95 gas-money story.
- Man who conspired with then-girlfriend and homeless man to launch viral GoFundMe scam sentenced to 27 months. CBS News. Accessed 2026-10-11. Supports: The January 2020 indictment, the November 2021 federal guilty plea, the April 1 2022 sentencing date and length, and D'Amico's statement in court.