Homelessness is a problem in our country, especially among veterans. When they come back from war or leave the military, they are not provided with the resources needed to adjust to civilian life and can wind up homeless.
One homeless veteran helped a woman, Kate McClure in Philadelphia when she didn’t have enough money for gas. For this good deed, the veteran received a lot of cash out of gratitude for his help. Unfortunately, with a quick turn of events, he lost it all.
Source: gofundme
Deceiving Appearances
The woman and man on the right are both dating. The man on the left in the yellow onesie thought they were his friends. It turns out he was very wrong.
Car Emergency
Kate McClure was driving on I-95 in Philadelphia when her phone died and car ran out of gas. With no money on her at the time, she was stuck in a pretty scary situation.
A Stranger Approaches
Scared and alone, Kate saw someone coming out of the shadows. She couldn’t go anywhere. So, she waited, on guard, to see who this person was and what they wanted.
Homeless Veteran
It turned out to be a homeless veteran named Johnny Bobbit. After graduating college, he had joined the army and come back home to nothing. When he noticed her stopped on the side of the road, he wanted to see if he could help her out.
More Common Than You May Think
Homeless veterans are much more common than you may think. After coming back from serving in a war, many soldiers experience PTSD and have trouble finding employment, which leads them to live on the street.
$20 Dollar Bill
Johnny offered Kate the only $20 bill he had to his name to buy her gas. Kate was so thankful and grateful for his act of kindness. Without him, she doesn’t know if she would have made it home that night.
Going Back
The next day, Kate and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, decided to go back to Philly and find Johnny to give him blankets, clothes, toiletries, food, and money as a way to say thanks.
“Thank You” Wasn’t Enough
Mark and Kate didn’t have the resources to show just how thankful they were for Johnny’s help. So, they created a GoFundMe and shared their story. With a goal of raising $10,000 they soon reached $400,000 donations in no time.
Unbelievable
Johnny was shocked at how much money had been raised. He was even more shocked at how many people were touched by his act of kindness. The media caught wind of the story and asked him to appear on TV and radio shows.
Becoming Friends
Kate and Mark started becoming friends with Johnny and learned more about his life. Johnny had grown up in North Carolina and was engaged once. He moved to Philly when he lost his job and his engagement was broken off.
Creating a Financial Plan
The couple helped Johnny make a financial plan and get him back up on his feet. It started with him getting his haircut and cleaned up. Kate and Mark promised to get Johnny a Ford Ranger and an apartment. The rest of the money would be put in a trust fund so he couldn’t spend it all on drugs.
Scammed
Johnny wasn’t given what he was promised. Instead of an apartment, he was living in a trailer on Kate’s parents’ property.
Blowing the Money
Kate gave Johnny $25,000 to start off thinking that this would last him for the next three months. The money only lasted him for two weeks. He had spent it on drugs. He did want to beat his addiction and recover, though. So, he bought Subuxone, a prescription medication to help treat drug addiction.
Asked to Leave
One night, Johnny got very drunk in his trailer on the McClure’s property. Kate and Mark asked him to leave the property. He was homeless yet again and didn’t have access to the money that was promised to him.
Suing His Friends
Johnny decided to sue Mark and Kate for the money from the GoFundMe. He was reluctant to file the lawsuit because he didn’t want to seem ungrateful for everything Kate and Mark had done, but he knew that the money belonged to him.
Denying Purchases
When asked if Kate and Mark used the money to buy their new BMW and several vacations to Florida, Las Vegas, and California, they denied it. They also claimed they gave Johnny $200,000, not $25,000 in the beginning.
Supporting Evidence
Johnny had proof that Kate and Mark had spent the money though. There were receipts and pictures from the luxurious vacations they took. There was no receipt of increased salaries for either of them.
Investigation Ensues
The Florence Township Police Service started a criminal investigation into Mark and Kate to determine if they had used the GoFundMe money and how much of it was missing.
Raided
The police raided the couple’s home. The couple was ordered to give the remaining money to Johnny. Unfortunately, there was almost nothing left to give.
The Root of All Evil
Johnny was left to live on the streets again. If it was proven that he was telling the truth, GoFundMe promised him the money he was owed. While the investigation is still going on, Johnny has to find a new way to get back on his feet and off the streets.