$400,000 missing from Veterans GoFundMe account
The $400,000 raised through a GoFundMe account to support a homeless veteran in Philadelphia after he gave his last bit of money to help a stranded motorist is reportedly drained.
A lawyer representing Johnny Bobbitt, whose story garnered national attention last year after he gave Kate McClure his last $20 to fill up her gas tank, told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that news of the depleted account “came as a complete surprise.”
Is anyone at TAH completely surprised?
Chris Fallon, the lawyer, said he became aware of the financial standing of his client’s account after a conference call with attorneys for McClure and her boyfriend Mark D’Amico – the couple who started the GoFundMe account for Bobbitt after his kind gesture, promising him a home.
“It completely shocked me when I heard,” Fallon told the paper.Bobbitt’s attorneys requested that the couple remain in New Jersey, surrender their passports, post a bond and restrict access to their bank accounts after they failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to deliver any remaining money from the GoFundMe account, according to the paper.
Last week, Superior Court Judge Paula T. Dow ordered the couple to wire the remaining funds to a trust for Bobbitt, and submit an accounting report of the donated money within 24 hours.
Bobbitt has received roughly $75,000 dollars of the funds, which he used to purchase a camper and SUV – both of which he no longer has, the paper reported.
A so called homeless veteran does not need $400,000. He needs to walk his ass into the local VA office, unless he has a Dishonorable Discharge in which case he should stop calling himself a veteran.
Category: Military issues, Phony Vet Charities
Shocked I am. Dirt baggery and thievery rampant in Joisey? Fraudulent collection and disbursement of cup rattle funds? Say it ain’t so Dave. Can’t decide which crowd is worse. Help me.
“Is anyone at TAH completely surprised?”
No. Not a bit.
First of all, is Johnny Bobbitt really a veteran, or is he just a bum? It was nice of him to give that woman $20 for gas, but since cars DO have fuel gauges, why did that bimbo broad run out of gas in the first place?
Second, the whole “nice” part of it – raising a huge sum of cash for a purpose – is fine, but why not help Bobbitt find a job that gives him a paycheck, instead?
If my local Congress critter can sponsor and attend job fairs specifically aimed at hiring veterans, what is really going on here?
Except for a brief period, when Nixon’s recession made finding a job difficult for everyone and I went back to school to bump UP my job skills, I never had any problem finding work. Period.
So what is Bobbitt’s real problem, why was he homeless, and why was he dumb enough to think he’d actually get that rather large sum of cash?
This whole thing stinks worse than a dead fish, in my view.
Ex-PH2:
Johnny Bobbitt, Jr.did indeed serve a short time with the Marine Corps:
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-army/2017/11/27/the-homeless-marine-vet-who-is-now-famous-never-finished-his-first-enlistment/
He initially lived in Henderson, NC and was taking courses to become a Paramedic. He even had a Fiancee as depicted on an old Facebook account. His addiction disease to drugs, especially opiates, was his downfall.
He came to Philly to find employment in construction,but most likely, his addiction cost him his job and/or future jobs. Thus the reason for him living under a Bridge, homeless. Also, the couple may have tried to help him find emoloyment..they were aware of his drug use problem.
His brother also “lives” with him…and has the same disease. Their mother is aware of both of their situations, but has kept a low profile. Perhaps she may have the same disease.
I’m going back to the kangaroo, and see if I can scare of the Late Great George Carlin while I’m at it.
These people make my ass twitch.
And why did he buy a camper and RV of which he no longer owns? something stinks here all the way around!
There is suppose to be a hearing conducted right now (1000 hours, 5 Sepember 2018) with a New Jersey Court Judge on this case. The link below also provides pictures of the couple on the helicopter ride as well as the BMW in question. Go Fund Me is keeping $20,000 of those funds. Bobbitt, Jr.admitted he spent $25,000 on drugs or his friends (family? His Mother knew about his situation and may have asked for $$$). Bobbitt also admitted he wanted a mobile trailor to live in with a goal of moving to Montana versus getting a home…and asked for an SUV versus the Ford.
https://6abc.com/society/all-gofundme-money-is-gone-attorney-for-homeless-man-says/4144230/
The outcome as well as the rest of the story is going to be interesting.
Is it not fraud to raise money for a stated purpose and then use the money for a different stated purpose?
Everyone in this story is a shithead apparently, the homeless guy is (shocker) a drug addicted loser who pissed away half a year’s salary for the Average American in 13 days on drugs and who knows what….that’s the reason this dude is homeless because he self medicated himself right out of a job, a house, and his family. Addiction is a terrible thing, primarily because the addict eventually fucks over every person he knows including mom and dad.
I’ve no tolerance for addicts, I’ve seen too many of them ruin their lives and the lives of their loved ones, especially their children which is completely infuckingexcusable.
While I support treatment, I have no desire to waste time and money on someone who is not interested in getting themselves squared away because all you end up doing is throwing money out a window.
A dead addict isn’t a tragedy it’s an expected outcome from a series of miserably poor choices that result in an inability to escape from the self medicated escape.
The two shitheads who committed this fraud were likely thinking they would raise a couple hundred bucks and make a nice gesture for this homeless turd, and then were shocked when it became clear this was going to be a home run worth 400k or more…then their internal greed sensors fired up and they bought some good stuff for themselves and some mediocre shit for the loser.
Give the guy 400k and he’ll be dead in less than a month…but he’ll die relatively happy I guess. Fine the two fraudsters and move on.
Well said.
That was a whole years salary for the average American.
The successful treatment of opioid dependence is now well known. I have two friends who went down the happy trail with prescription painkillers. They were to the point where they were selling damn near everything they owned, their family life sucked and they had zero hope in the future. Fortunately, one was a VA patient and the VA turned him on to a program which requires the taking of Suboxone (Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Tablets) several times a day. Puts it under he tongue and it totally eliminates dependency. The Suboxone itself contains a small amount of an opioid, I believe. Anyway, the VA sent him out in town and he sees a doc there and fills his scripts at the VA. The other one sees the same doctor in town and gets the script filled at Navy. Did I mention that a month’s supply of the stuff runs about a grand? So, yes, it is fairly expensive and it isn’t free although neither pays for the medication. Taxpayers pay for it. They both swear the stuff completely eliminates the craving for opioids. So, there is a treatment readily available, it is very nearly 100% effective, yet it’s not used nearly to the extent it could be. All the while people are jacking Dollar General stores for bucks to buy their dope. Yeah, makes perfect sense. Wouldn’t want to put money where it could do some good to people. I don’t give those who got themselves into this mess a free ride, but there is a means of throwing them a lifesaver and maybe saving them from what one described as a life not worth living. No free pass; just give them hope. I would rather invest in them than the sixth generation of food stamp recipient from the same family or free shit for life for those here illegally. Guess that makes me a racist. Or a realist.
There is also chatter that the three of them were all in on the scam together and there was a falling out when the money started pouring in and two of them decided to get greedy and cut Bobbitt out.
He was at one point claiming to have been training to have been in training to be a paramedic, I’m not seeing how anybody would hire him as a medic given his history with recreational pharmacology. I said before, he should stick to being a bum – better hours (pay is about the same, crap) and no heavy lifting. The other two, well I’m just going to say karma is a bitch and the three of them deserve each other.
Has anyone confirmed that he is in fact a Vet?
You gave some info that he might not be a while ago.
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=81412
Bib Drennan, according to this link, Bobbitt did serve:
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-army/2017/11/27/the-homeless-marine-vet-who-is-now-famous-never-finished-his-first-enlistment/
Well, “surprise, surprise, Sgt. Carter,” color me shocked. Another homeless bum who happened to serve for less than ten months before being busted back to E-1 and likely given an other than honorable discharge. I see he really knows how to handle money; he has already pissed away $75K, including the purchase a camper and SUV which he no longer has. Likely sold both to buy more drugs and booze.
The Vet is an asshole. The helpful couple are assholes. The donors are assholes.
There’s no need for subtlety on this site my friend, don’t hold back on how you really feel!
I’m trying hard to come out of my shell. I’m taking a course in self assertiveness and another in the art of argumentation. Maybe they will help.
Ha!
Keep working on that art of “argumentation;” you could be a lawer someday.
Be sure to spread the compliments around 2/17 to all who are deserving. How about the person who wrote the news story? And especially the asshole photographer? Lest we not forget the attorneys, the judge, car and mobile home salesman, and of equal importance the people from Go F–k Me who allowed it all to start from the git go. Poor Johnny must have had a sign around his neck which read “Vet in need of being screwed over and taken advantage of. Good opportunity for shysters with nice tits and accomplices with shaved side haircut.”
I hear that the sign actually read, “Disheveled, unkempt adult male, deemed unfit for continued military service, busted down to E-1, needs money to feed heroin addiction. Will not work but will take hand-outs.”
Once saw a panhandler who had a sign to the effect, “Won’t lie – I need money for booze.” May or may not have given him a buck for his honesty.
Honesty is always the best policy!
No way I would want to be an attorney for either the bubble headed blonde who ran out of gas or the guy who is pumping her. This money is going to have to be accounted for, and I wouldn’t want to be the last guy standing when the finger pointing was done with. I can see jail time involved in this. Personally, I would volunteer to have her as a bunkie, only b/c I’m a generous type of guy,
You sailors are well known for taking care of ladies in distress. I’ll bet you’d give her a complete check-up at no charge.
Yes, and I would give her a thorough tongue lashing for being so foolish as to run out of gas.
Go Fund Me is returning the $20,000 that they initially took as a fee. They deposited the money into a Bank Account set up for Johnny Bobbitt, Jr by his lawyers:
https://www.nj.com/burlington/index.ssf/2018/09/gofundme_gives_20k_to_homeless_vet_in_money_dispute_says_it_is_working_with_authorities.html
I wonder how much Johnny Bobbitt’s lawyer is going to cut off of any monies recovered?
Jackie Chiles doesn’t see a dime until you see two dimes.
Only in America can a homeless, destitute, drug addicted, unemployed, fake veteran “afford” a Philadelphia area lawyer for legal representation!
Gotta disagree with two parts of this, DH.
First, unless the discharge is characterized as “honorable”, IMO the VA should NOT be enabling someone to continue being a dirtbag. It’s simply not that damn hard complete your obligated service and get out with an honorable discharge. (Yeah, I know Federal law says “other than dishonorable”. That law needs to be changed to say “under honorable conditions”.)
Second: someone who left the military since September 1980 should stop calling themselves a Veteran if they didn’t finish their first term of service unless they were separated for medical or compassionate reasons and received an honorable discharge when discharged early. I’m pretty sure that’s what’s required these days in order to receive most VA benefits.
Just my 2 cents worth, and YMMV.
So, the lawyers are going to make out well. GoFundMe originally made out well but decided the optics didn’t work well for them so gave up their fee. The “veteran” got his $20 back, and apparently got others to fund a pretty good high for him, so he really didn’t do too badly in this deal. The couple having trouble filling a vehicle with gas got some good times out of this deal.
So who is the victim here? Who are we supposed to sympathize with? Looks like everyone is or will make out pretty well here and get or got what they wanted in one form or another.
OWB commented: “So is the victim here? Who are we supposed to sympathize with?”
Good questions, OWB. Good questions.
Other victims could be those that donated. Wonder if any donater will try to sue Go Fund Me, the Couple or Bobbit or all three of them…
Talk about a circus..
OWB….after seeing what you wrote, all of a sudden another thought from a different perspective comes to mind. When Johnny gave the blonde his last $20 was he hoping for or expecting anything in exchange? More important did he put the gas in her car himself, taking 20 minutes to do so, just so he could huff the gas fumes? Just sayin’, some of us oddballs wonder about all the possibilities.
The couple had a 1000 hours hearing today with a New Jersey Superior Court Judge…and they were a NO-SHOW:
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/09/couple_in_400k_gofundme_scandal_taken_to_court_by.html
Well, the money is gone and now so are these two. If I was a lawyer (even a dead one) I wouldn’t be involved in this crap. Wouldn’t be surprised if someone went to jail. If stupidity were a crime, the homeless guy would be the first one behind bars. I have a feeling all the money is gone.
“I have a feeling all the money is gone.” If by that you mean spent, no. They’ve probably blown through 80 grand and now are hitting the road. They really didn’t think this through at all, did they?
Their Attorney, Ernest Badway (yep, that is his real last name) told a judge “they want to invoke the 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.”
Gee Whiz…
At this point, that is likely their best move. One should never make any statement to the authorities when one is likely to be charged with a crime, and embezzlement is a crime.
Not to shit on the guy but both parties smell like two parties doing right for the wrong reasons collided.
BHWHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
No surprise here
Can’t believe it took this long for Go Fund Me to finally end this link. It was still active this morning:
https://www.gofundme.com/hvv4r-paying-it-forward
I wonder when the new Go Fund Me page for Bobbitt will be started….*eyeroll*
I heard Bobbit was getting cut off, not out…
Am I late to the game or did no one make the connection…disconnection?
John Wayne Bobbitt tried and failed to make it as a pr0n Actor after his episode, likely because he fainted every time the Director yelled “CUT!”.
Looking at the picture of the perp couple, I can’t decide if the male half is a skinhead or just got out of boot camp. Buying the homeless guy a small car or even a truck would have made sense. But a BMW? Driving a BMW around ought to assure him of picking up loose women won’t hardly work when he has no place to bathe, wash and wear clean clothes, brush his teeth, and wipe his rear end. Now I see, he will be driving in the area of bridges looking for a female compatriot who doesn’t mind sleeping in the trunk. Much as I hate to think it, but what would cause a homeless guy to give his last $20 to some blonde driving alone? Conversation may have gone like this……”My name is not Lorena, but I’d sure like to see your Johnson, Mr. Bobbit. I’ve got nearly 200 miles to drive but I’ll be glad to give you a lift to anywhere you want to go, including the famous “Around The World”, if you know what I mean. By the way, what is that after shave you are wearing? Is that the new “Under The Bridge” cologne for manly men? Sure makes me hot for somebody as well dressed as you are. In case you were wondering, I’m not a spitter. Now give me that twenty so we can get on the road!”
Jarhead: All I can say is:
Damnit Jarhead, I cracked a rib I laughed so hard.
Go Fund Me has turned into a GO FRAUD ME scam.
“A so called homeless veteran does not need $400,000. He needs to walk his ass into the local VA office, unless he has a Dishonorable Discharge in which case he should stop calling himself a veteran.”
Brother you haven’t been in his shoes. I am really glad that you have never been to a point in life where you have no home, no job and no money….
I watch a lot of the Military History channel nowadays as it is part of my Google Fiber line up.
I am seeing a ton of new really expensive looking ads from Wounded Warrior Project asking for $19/month to support Veterans.
Has anyone else heard if they got their asses straightened out and started giving a higher percentage to Veterans.
It’s been a while since I have seen their percentages for actual donation and administrative costs. It used to be that they were only donating about 20% or something like that.
I think it was here that I heard those experiences. I also remember someone saying that they kept asking them for help for a severely wounded spouse and after a few months of dealing with them they sent her a WWP blanket…
I would like to know if anyone has that info.
Thanks
Thunder
Well, I should have checked Bing prior to asking the question.
It looks like they are doing a lot better.
They now have 4 out of 5 stars and also have a Platinum Award for their transparency.
Looks like the stink we raised as Veterans here did some good.
Admin costs are now %.6% and fundraising expenses are 22.9% out of total income of 231 million…
The old CEO gets a salary of $112,000 and the CFO gets a salary of $211K.
Their overall rating, although good is no where near as good as some other Veteran’s programs are.
Their is 86% and other are over 96% and those are given 5 stars out of 5…
Should be 4.6%.
That means that the WWP is still spending between 1/4 and 1/3 of it’s intake on overhead costs (admin 4.6% + fundraising cost 22.9% = 27.5%). And they may be spending even more on overhead – if I recall correctly, one of the WWP’s previous “dodges” was to list promotional giveaway materials under “other expenses” so people wouldn’t know they were an overhead cost.
In my book, any charity that spends more than about 10% of intake on internal overhead costs is questionable (and doesn’t get a dime from me). And any charity that exceeds 25% of intake spent on internal overhead IMO needs legal scrutiny.
YMMV.
WWP appears to have mended its ways. It always helped wounded Vets but it previously did so while paying its leadership a tad too well and spent donations on questionable things. In response, it fired the ones garnering the heft salaries and had something of an overhaul. People improve and so do organizations.
They are still anti-Second Amendment. Plus, they sued a more legit charity over the name. I’ll never give them a dime.
Cannot agree, 2/17. They still spend well over 1/4 of their annual intake on internal overhead (admin + fundraising alone consumes 27.5% of their $231M receipts – or over $63M). And maybe even more – as I recall, one of their previous questionable practices was to report promotional giveaway items as “program expenses” to keep them from showing up as overhead costs. If they’re doing so today, that means they’re spending and even higher percentage on overhead than 27.5%.
If the WWP gets their overhead fraction down to somewhere around 10-15%, I might agree with you. Yes, they’re doing better today than they were, but still p!ss away way far too high a fraction of donations on overhead that should be going to support legitimate veteran support programs.
I’m not planting my flag on the WWP makeover. I was just giving the outfit some benefit of the doubt. They do some good work, but with the millions and millions they take in, they could doubtless do more. With their war chest and willingness to sue, perhaps they have influenced others to turn down the heat on them. I don’t know.
One of WWP’s fave moves was to get some person/ entity to donate a service to WWP for vets and then claim the value of the service was a benefit it paid out to the veterans receiving it, without listing it among it donations received on its balance sheets. Thatway, it could inflate it percentage of benefits bestowed on vets.
Maybe someone will rewrite the old song to read, “When Johnny Comes Staggering Home Again, Hurrah, Hurrah!”
Just FYI, this was posted today
Cops raid NJ couple’s home after $400,000 GoFundMe for homeless vet goes missing
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/09/cops-raid-nj-couples-home-after-400000-gofundme-for-homeless-vet-goes-missing/?utm_source=dvf&utm_campaign=alt&utm_medium=facebook
At first I thought the homeless guy went missing. Wouldn’t surprise me.
But this is even better. More popcorn.
“RAW VIDEO: Court Hearing Over Go Fund Me Money Raised For Homeless Man”:
https://youtu.be/Op1elWW__pU