A New Jersey man was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday for faking a story about a homeless veteran to raise money for his girlfriend.
In December of last year, Mark D'Amico pleaded guilty to making up a story in order to raise money for his girlfriend.
At the time, prosecutors said that the three had met before and cooked up the scheme to make money. They conducted newspaper and television interviews in order to raise money for the cause.
According to the prosecutor's office in Burlington County, New Jersey, the campaign raised more than $400,000 and was the largest fraud on the platform.
The couple were accused of not giving him the money after he sued them. The money was spent on a recreational vehicle, a BMW, and trips to casinos in Las Vegas and New Jersey by the end of the year.
The prosecutor said people wanted to believe it was true. It was all a lie. More than 14,000 kind-hearted people who thought they were helping someone who was in a desperate situation will be brought to justice.
They have been ordered to pay back the money.
D'Amico is currently in a federal prison in Pennsylvania. He will serve the rest of his state time when he finishes his federal sentence.
The two pleaded guilty to federal charges. As a result of his plea agreement, he is in a state drug court program. She was sentenced to a year on federal charges and is awaiting sentencing on state charges.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
