A feel good story that went viral in November 2017 has taken a serious turn. Prosecutors in New Jersey announced charges against Kate and her boyfriend Mark, along with the homeless veteran they raised money for, Johnny Bobbitt Jr.
According to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, all three face charges of theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception. These are allegations. None of the three has been convicted of anything, and the case is still moving through the court process.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help Johnny after he reportedly spent his last bit of cash to help Kate when she ran out of gas. More than 14,000 donors gave, and the fund raised $402,706, far past its original $10K goal.
Things soured in the months that followed. Johnny later took legal action, saying he had not received most of the money and was homeless again. The couple’s side was that they gave him about $25K and that he spent it quickly. At the same time, reports said the couple took trips and bought expensive items.
Investigators say they reviewed bank records and thousands of text messages. According to E! Online, prosecutors cited messages in which Kate allegedly said part of the original story was made up. Authorities also pointed to a 2012 Facebook post from Johnny that told a very similar story about helping a woman with a flat tire, and they say that is more than a coincidence. Johnny’s side of the story has not been laid out in detail, and attorneys for the three had not been quoted in the reports we reviewed.
Under New Jersey law, the charges can carry a sentence of five to ten years in prison if there is a conviction. For now, all three are presumed innocent.
We will keep you posted as the case develops.
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