Woman That Follows A Pregnant Panhandler Quickly Uncovers The Dark Reality
Sometimes, people find themselves embroiled in a mystery they have no business solving, and when this happens, they have to choose between rolling the dice or walking away. When one woman crossed paths with a poor panhandler, she had no clue what the shabby clothing and cardboard sign were covering up. But soon enough, this bystander started to notice holes in the panhandler’s story — and walking away wasn’t an option.
Deceptive Appearances
A sunny San Diego shopping plaza definitely didn’t seem like the home of a sinister plot, but behind the regular friendly faces was something else entirely. In this case, darkness flourished in the most unlikely of places…
A Heart-Wrenching Sight
One pregnant woman and her little boy spent their days panhandling at that exact shopping center. They were familiar faces at the plaza, and frequent customers often saw the woman holding a cardboard sign with her son by her side.
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Inspiring Sympathy
So one such customer, Melissa Smith, was not surprised when she saw the poor duo standing alone on the corner with their familiar cardboard sign. “I felt bad. There’s a pregnant lady with a little boy who is down on her luck,” Melissa said.
A Ubiquitous Presence
Every time Melissa went to the shopping center, the woman was there, along with countless people buying her food and giving her money. But one day, Melissa’s compassion quickly turned into suspicion.
A Growing Concern
At the plaza that day, Melissa was surprised to see that the panhandler was missing. Immediately, she was worried. Images of the pregnant woman going into labor flashed through her mind, and Melissa hoped she was alright…
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The Plot Thickens
But her thoughts were interrupted by a loud engine — and the sight of the pregnant woman (who was standing in a different spot than usual) getting into a mysterious car. As she watched, Melissa noticed something odd.
A Glaring Red Flag
What was weird was the car itself. “I noticed they went into a Mercedes-Benz. I thought, ‘Wow, a Mercedes-Benz?’” Melissa said. Something about the situation gnawed at Melissa...so she jumped into her own car.
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Hot On Their Trail
She followed the Mercedes out of the parking lot and filmed the luxury car speeding away — but not before capturing shocking footage of the people inside. The driver, it turned out, was a well-dressed man, and he wasn’t alone.
A Strange Scene
“Here they are, counting money, laughing…[the boy is] all the way in the front seat,” Melissa said. She watched as the car sped into a different store’s parking lot, where the woman stood out with another sign and collected more money.
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Tensions Rise
Melissa marched right up to the woman and started to take pictures of her with her phone...which the panhandler didn’t like at all. ”Next thing I know, she picked up this big boulder,” Melissa said. The woman threatened to throw it at Melissa.
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Gathering Evidence
But a screaming pregnant woman wielding a boulder wouldn’t stop Melissa from exposing the truth, and the woman ran off when Melissa didn't stop taking pictures. Now that Melissa had evidence, she was determined to see justice served.
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Contacting The Press
She reached out to a local news station, and the story spread. Reporter Emily Valdez knew she had to catch the phony panhandler in the act, but when she confronted the pregnant woman, something was obviously off.
Nothing Adds Up
The woman’s face matched the description almost perfectly, but there was something missing: Her baby bump. It had only been two days, but here this woman was, standing in front of a store holding a baby in her arms.
'Is This You?'
Still, Emily didn’t hesitate. She showed the woman a picture of the panhandler and asked, “Is this you?” The woman looked confused. “I don’t speak English,” she told Emily. The woman, the boy, and the man they were with ran to a nearby minivan.
That Creeping Feeling
The woman jumped into the minivan (which had dealer plates) and sped away before Emily could ask more questions, but the news outlets weren’t done investigating. They had a feeling that this strange family was hiding something, and something big.
An Unidentifiable Dialect
What stuck out about this footage were the languages spoken. In the video, the man was seen speaking to the woman in Spanish, but he could also be heard whispering something in a different language that was difficult to identify…
Enter Leslie
Luckily, there was someone out there who could help. The news footage caught the eye of retired police officer Leslie Albright. Over her 25 years of experience, Leslie had become a crucial specialist on the force.
An Unsettling Conclusion
When Leslie saw the footage, she knew immediately that they were not just beggars. See, Leslie had specialized in underground crime rings. On a hunch, she tried to decipher what the man had whispered. That’s when it hit her.
A Nefarious Plot
He was speaking Romani. From this revelation, the dastardly story began to unfold: The couple had started a crime ring following their illegal entry into the country. The more Leslie shared her knowledge, the worse the facts were.
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Chilling Accusations
“They’ll use babies, children, anyway they can...the children will not go to school because their job and their future is the family business,” she said. When asked who exactly these people are, Leslie had just one response.
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Damning Words
“Gypsies,” she said, without a shadow of a doubt. “The M.O. is on the money.” And when it comes to this shady “family business,” Leslie had a simple explanation. “The business is scheming,” she said.
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A Dangerous Phenomenon
This small fraction of Romanian immigrants can end up scamming people out of thousands of dollars. The mysterious family of schemers have apparently moved on to a different area, and lack of police involvement led Emily Valdez to one conclusion.
Only A Matter Of Time
“We don’t know why they’re begging for money, but what we do know...is that people don’t like beggars who drive really nice cars,” Emily said. These scheming panhandlers, she knew, could only skip town for so long.
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Desperate For A Hint
Soon, Emily began looking for similar cases in a desperate attempt to catch the criminals. Out of all the names in their database, two in particular stuck out: Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure. Much like the suspects in Emily’s case, on the surface these two appeared like well-meaning good Samaritans. And the similarities didn't end there.
A 'Normal' Pairing
McClure and D'Amico of New Jersey were just like any other couple, except, come the weekend, you wouldn't find them at any old bar in the neighborhood. Their usual hangout was a tad unconventional. And to Emily, it presented a major red flag.
The Chill Spot
The hangout spot in question was a nearby casino. Mark had a bit of a gambling addiction, so this was the predominant reason behind their routine. On their frequent trips, they ran into someone who would change their life.
Making Friends
This was a man named Johnny Bobbitt, and he was a homeless veteran. The couple started to befriend him, providing the man with cups of coffee and extra dollars they'd won from the slot machines.
Sketchy Beginnings
Bobbitt was thankful for the kindness, but he missed something about McClure and D'Amico: Strapped for cash themselves, they were beginning to devise quite the sinister scheme — one in which he would play a crucial role.
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Incriminating Evidence
See, over 60,000 text messages, the couple complained about their money problems, brainstorming a less-than-legal way to remedy the hungry bank accounts. That's when they remembered the nice homeless man near the casino.
The Lie Wins Big
So, they let Bobbitt in on their sneaky plan, and he hastily agreed. McClure posted the made-up narrative on GoFundMe: Bobbit gave her a $20 for gas; she wanted his kindness rewarded. Donations poured in.
Pulling On Heartstrings
It was the details that won over strangers: "Johnny did not ask me for a dollar," McClure wrote, "and I couldn't repay him at that moment because I didn't have any cash, but I have been stopping by his spot for the past few weeks."
'Completely Made Up'
In the meantime, however, McClure texted her friend, “Okay so wait the gas part is completely made up ... But the guy isn't. I had to make something up to make people feel bad ... So, shush about the made up part." The friend listened.
Hitting The Jackpot
As the GoFundMe went around the internet, more than 14,000 individuals donated to the made-up cause, amounting a grand total of $402,000 — money that was supposed to be helping a homeless veteran get back on his feet.
The World Applauds
McClure and D'Amico themselves even got a ton of accolades online. Hailed as good people and selfless Samaritans, after the money had been raised, Kate posted an update: “now jonny will have a roof over his head!" Soon, things would start to unravel..
Something Smells Fishy
The first sign of trouble came when Bobbitt himself complained to local authorities that he hadn’t gotten any of the money that was owed to him. This is when investigators turned an eye to the seemingly innocent couple.
Serious Accusations
Bobby's attorneys claimed that out of the hundreds of thousands raised, their client had received a mere $75,000 from the fund. They accused McClure and D'Amico of spending the money that was rightfully his on luxury items, including fancy trips and handbags.
Blame It On The Drugs
Their first line of defense was to say that they'd withheld a portion of the funds from Bobbitt because they were worried that he would have spent the money on drugs, an issue he'd struggled with in the past.
What Johnny Didn't Anticipate
Little did Bobbitt know, he too would soon be implicated in the nefarious scheme. Detectives seized the couples' cellphones, revealing texts that incriminated all three of them.
A Bewildered Prosecutor
When asked why it didn't cross Bobbitt's mind that complaining about his share of the money might land him in hot water as well, prosecutor Coffina simply replied that he “can't speculate what is in Johnny Bobbitt's mind. It certainly appears to have been a miscalculation on his part in hindsight.”
Marc's Sentence
Marc D'Amico accepted a guilty plea, guaranteeing him five years in prison but allowing him to avoid taking full responsibility for the scheme. He also has to help pay back the stolen money.
Even Johnny Has To Pay
Meanwhile, Johnny Bobbitt was given five years probation and, despite being homeless, must also help to pay back the funds stolen through the scam. And as for Kate McClure? Her fate is still being decided...
Kate McClure's Uncertain Future
Kate continued to pinpoint her boyfriend, Mark D’amico, as the ringleader behind the entire thing, so her sentencing date was pushed back. Eventually, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
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GoFundMe's Response
GoFundMe has issued their own statement, writing, "We are fully cooperating and assisting law enforcement officials to recover every dollar withdrawn by Ms. McClure and Mr. D'Amico. Finally, it's important to understand that misuse is very rare on our platform."
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