GoFundMe scam: Homeless vet Johnny Bobbitt sentenced in federal court

CAMDEN, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Johnny Bobbitt was sentenced in federal court Monday for his role in a GoFundMe scheme that made national headlines.

Bobbitt was one of three people who pleaded guilty in the 2017 scandal.

On Monday, a federal judge sentenced Bobbitt to three years of probation and ordered him to pay $25,000 in restitution.

Prosecutors say Bobbitt conspired with Kate McClure and her former boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, to concoct a feel-good story about the homeless veteran using his last $20 to help McClure when her car ran out of gas on I-95 in Philadelphia.

The story initially captured the hearts of people around the world and they used the lie to raise $400,000 in online donations during the holidays in late 2017 and early 2018.

SEE ALSO: Mark D'Amico, accused ringleader in GoFundMe scam, sentenced to 27 months in federal prison

Their story started to unravel after the veteran sued the couple, accusing them of not giving him the money.

Produced by 6abc Philadelphia and ABC Localish Studios. Mark D'Amico and Kate McClure started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help a homeless veteran. It went viral and raised thousands of dollars. When authorities began to notice, the scam would crumble.

Court documents revealed that almost no part of their story was true and that the couple spent large chunks of the money in a matter of months on lavish casino trips and a BMW.

The trio became the center of a Hulu documentary produced by the Action News investigative team, called "No Good Deed, A Crowdfunding Holiday Heist."

Bobbitt was sentenced to five years of probation on state charges in 2019.

D'Amico, the accused ringleader of the scheme, was sentenced earlier this year to 27 months in federal prison.

In July, McClure was sentenced to one year in federal prison.