A New Jersey male who admitted to fabricating a story that a homeless veteran employed his only remaining funds to invest in gasoline for his stranded previous girlfriend as portion of a $400,000 GoFundMe plan to solicit on the web donations was sentenced to 5 many years in state prison on Friday. 

Mark D’Amico, 43, of Florence, New Jersey, experienced pleaded responsible in December 2019 and admitted concocting the truly feel-excellent tale in late 2017 about Johnny Bobbitt Jr. providing his previous $20 to assistance D’Amico's then girlfriend, Katelyn McClure, when her automobile ran out of gasoline on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.

Prosecutors claimed at the time that the 3 experienced met formerly and cooked up the plan to make money. 

The tale was immediately picked up by news retailers about the nation, and they executed newspaper and television interviews and solicited donations, ostensibly to enable Bobbitt, as a result of a GoFundMe campaign they named "Paying It Ahead."

NEW JERSEY Woman SENTENCED TO Jail FOR VIRAL $400K GOFUNDME Scam FOR HOMELESS VETERAN 

Kate McClure, appropriate, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., left, and Mark D'Amico, middle, were showcased in The Philadelphia Inquirer at a stage when the GoFundMe campaign experienced raised additional than $13,000.  (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER)

The marketing campaign raised more than $400,000 from about 14,000 donors in about a thirty day period and at the time was the largest fraud perpetrated by means of the crowdfunding platform, in accordance to the prosecutor's business in Burlington County, New Jersey. 

In accordance with the plea arrangement, Hon. Christopher J. Garrenger of Top-quality Courtroom in Mount Holly sentenced D'Amico to 5 many years on the point out cost of second-diploma misapplication of entrusted property. 

D’Amico had also pleaded responsible to different federal costs and is at present in federal jail in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. His condition sentence will operate concurrently, and when he finishes his 27-month federal sentence he will provide the remainder of his state time, according to the prosecutor's office environment.

With a staged picture of McClure posing with her supposed hero, the GoFundMe campaign shown a purpose of $10,000 to supply Bobbitt with hire for an condominium, a dependable automobile and six months of dwelling costs, between other items. But the incoming resources considerably exceeded their anticipations, and authorities began investigating soon after Bobbitt sued the few in civil court docket, alleging he only obtained $75,000 of the resources lifted on his behalf. 

MASTERMIND OF Notorious GOFUNDME HOMELESS Rip-off Going through 5-Year Jail SENTENCE

Mark D'Amico listens throughout his courtroom arraignment in Burlington County Excellent Courtroom in Mount Holly, N.J., May 28, 2019.  ( Tim Tai/The Philadelphia Inquirer by means of WHD, Pool, File)

Authorities identified most of some $400,000 full raised was spent by March 2018, with big chunks squandered by McClure and D’Amico on on line casino gambling and particular products these as a BMW, a New Year’s excursion to Las Vegas, a helicopter experience more than the Grand Canyon and Louis Vuitton purses. 

"Men and women genuinely wanted to believe that it was correct," Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw reported in a assertion Friday. "But it was all a lie, and it was illegal. Our workplace is pleased to bring justice for the extra than 14,000 kind-hearted individuals who considered they ended up serving to anyone who was dwelling in a determined circumstance."

D’Amico and McClure have been requested to thoroughly reimburse GoFundMe.

Kate McClure, 32, charged with theft by deception in the $400,00 GoFundMe scam, with her lawyer Jim Gerrow Jr., in Point out Remarkable Court docket, Burlington County Courthouse, Mt. Holly, N.J., April 15, 2019.  (David Swanson/The Philadelphia Inquirer by way of WHD, FILE)

McClure and Bobbitt also pleaded responsible to point out and federal expenses. Bobbitt is in a condition drug courtroom method as section of his plea agreement and is awaiting federal sentencing. 

Last month, McClure was sentenced to a person 12 months and one working day in prison on federal costs and is awaiting sentencing on point out charges, the place she is anticipated to obtain more time. 

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McClure admitted that she sophisticated the fake narrative about Bobbitt, indicating it was at D’Amico’s way, and pleaded guilty in April 2019 to second diploma theft by deception in exchange for a 4-yr expression in state prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 in Outstanding Court in Mount Holly.

The contributed to this report.