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Tag: GoFundMe

  • Federal agents interview veteran who alleges George Santos took thousands from dying dog’s GoFundMe | CNN Politics

    Federal agents interview veteran who alleges George Santos took thousands from dying dog’s GoFundMe | CNN Politics

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    CNN
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    Federal law enforcement officials are investigating a US Navy veteran’s allegation that Rep. George Santos raised money for a lifesaving surgery for his dying dog only to take off with the money.

    Rich Osthoff, the veteran, told CNN he spoke to a pair of FBI agents on Wednesday about the incident on behalf of the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, which is investigating Santos’ finances. Osthoff said he cooperated with the agents’ requests, including handing over his text message exchanges with Santos.

    CNN has reached Santos’ attorney for comment. Santos did not respond to questions about the matter when asked by reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.

    Politico first reported the development.

    Osthoff told CNN last month that in 2016 Santos promised to raise funds for his pit bull, Sapphire. Osthoff said at the time he was homeless and living in a tent after losing his job and house.

    Santos set up a GoFundMe which eventually raised around $3,000. A post from the Facebook profile of George Devolder at the time links to a GoFundMe raising surgery funds for the dog.

    Osthoff said Santos became uncooperative when he tried to access the GoFundMe money.

    Santos, a New York Republican, told CNN in January that he had “no clue” what Osthoff was talking about and defended his work with animals.

    Text messages provided to CNN by Osthoff also show his exchanges with Santos in 2016.

    “Hey Anthony, Rich here. I was hoping to hear from you. Just checking whether you made contact with the vet,” Osthoff writes in one text to Santos, who was going by the name Anthony Devolder at the time.

    Santos replies that he “just called” Osthoff and he’s been “jumping through hoops.” He adds, “They are not as flexible as you said they were,” apparently speaking about the vet Osthoff referenced.

    Santos also writes that a vet “had already ruled out the surgery without the ultrasound because based on his experience he thinks it’s very invasive,” but he tells Osthoff he will take the dog to a vet to get an ultrasound “to give you piece of mind.”

    After Osthoff says, “I’m starting to feel liked [SIC] I was mined for my family and friends donations,” Santos tells him that, because his dog is not a candidate for surgery, “the funds are moved to the next animal in need and we will make sure we use of [SIC] resources to keep her comfortable!”

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  • Android Jones, Iconic Visual Artist, Loses Decades Worth of Art In Devastating Studio Fire – EDM.com

    Android Jones, Iconic Visual Artist, Loses Decades Worth of Art In Devastating Studio Fire – EDM.com

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    Consider helping one of electronic music’s most iconic visual artists, Android Jones, whose decades of work went up in flames after a devastating fire.

    Jones recently shared the heartbreaking news that his art studio had burned down on January 18th. He says he lost roughly 20 years worth of work in the fire, which claimed all of his art books, sketches, hard drives, laptops and equipment. The bespoke creative studio was built by his late father, who passed away in 2013.

    The renowned Colorado artist has now launched a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the studio and acquire the tools he needs to continue his work.

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    Nick Yopko

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  • GoFundMe blocked George Santos after he allegedly pocketed thousands from a fundraiser for a dying service dog

    GoFundMe blocked George Santos after he allegedly pocketed thousands from a fundraiser for a dying service dog

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    Rep. George Santos, the embattled Republican congressman from New York, is under fire for allegations that he stole thousands meant to pay for life-saving surgery for a homeless veteran’s dying service dog. GoFundMe confirmed to CBS News it blocked the email associated with the fundraiser in 2016.

    Santos has denied the claims. 

    Richard Osthoff, a U.S. Navy veteran, says that Santos posed as the owner of a pet charity under the alias Anthony Devolder. Osthoff told Patch that he was living in a chicken coop on the side of a New Jersey highway in 2016 when his service dog, Sapphire, developed a life-threatening stomach tumor.

    A vet tech knowing Osthoff’s financial situation recommended he get in touch with Santos, who purported to run Friends of Pets United, which could help the veteran secure funding for Sapphire’s life-saving surgery, he said. 

    Neither the IRS nor the attorney general’s offices in New York and New Jersey were able to find any record of a registered charity by that name, reported the New York Times.

    Through GoFundMe, Osthoff said that Santos raised $3,000 for Sapphire’s surgery, but when Osthoff and his dog went to a veterinary practice in Queens recommended by Santos, a surgeon told him Sapphire’s tumor was inoperable — a concern the New Jersey vet had not expressed.

    When Osthoff attempted to contact Santos afterward to claim the money, he said his calls and texts went ignored, while the donations page was removed from the site altogether.

    Osthoff said he texted Santos, “I’m starting to feel like I was mined for my family and friends donations,” and Santos replied that because Sapphire couldn’t move forward with surgery, the money would be put into a charity fund “for other dogs.”

    Text messages provided by Osthoff to Patch show him pleading with Santos, writing, “My dog is going to die because of god knows what.”

    Sapphire died in January 2017. 

    A post from 2016 sharing the now-defunct GoFundMe read, “Click here to support sapphire The Veteran rescue,” with the organizer of the campaign listed as Anthony Devolder, a name Santos has been known to use.

    We made the goal, and then some! Thanks so much to all who donated and shared our campaign! Sapphie sends wags and licks to all of you! I’ll call to schedule her surgery tomorrow!

    Posted by Rich Osthoff on Thursday, June 30, 2016

    Retired police Sgt. Michael Boll, another New Jersey veteran, attempted to help Osthoff claim the money from Santos, telling Patch, “I contacted [Santos] and told him ‘You’re messing with a veteran,’ and that he needed to give back the money or use it to get Osthoff another dog.” 

    “He was totally uncooperative on the phone,” said Boll.

    Santos denied the “fake” allegations to Semafor on Wednesday, writing via text message, “No clue who this is.”

    On Thursday, Santos tweeted, “The reports that I would let a dog die is shocking & insane. My work in animal advocacy was the labor of love & hard work.”

    “Over the past 24hr I have received pictures of dogs I helped rescue throughout the years along with supportive messages,” he said, though he did not share either the photos or the messages.”These distractions won’t stop me!”

    While Santos is steadfast in saying that the allegations are false, the director of public affairs at GoFundMe confirmed to CBS News on Thursday the veracity of the fundraiser.

    “When we received a report of an issue with this fundraiser in late 2016, our trust and safety team sought proof of the delivery of funds from the organizer,” said Jalen Drummond in a statement. “The organizer failed to respond, which led to the fundraiser being removed and the email associated with that account prohibited from further use on our platform.”

    “GoFundMe has a zero tolerance policy for misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing.”

    C Mandler


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    C Mandler is a social media producer and trending content writer in New York, focusing on LGBTQ+ issues.

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  • ‘The Daily Show’ Guest Host Leslie Jones Has 1 Scathing Question For George Santos

    ‘The Daily Show’ Guest Host Leslie Jones Has 1 Scathing Question For George Santos

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    “Do you know how much you have to lie to be known as ‘the lying congressman?’” Jones asked.

    “He didn’t just steal from a service dog. He didn’t just steal from a dying service dog. He stole from a disabled homeless veteran’s dying service dog!” Jones said in disbelief.

    Santos, she said, is both “evil and stupid.”

    “You’re gonna mess with somebody’s dog? Have you not heard of John Wick?” Jones asked. “Your ass is in trouble.”

    See more in her Wednesday night monologue:

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  • Woman Guilty of GoFundMe Scam Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

    Woman Guilty of GoFundMe Scam Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

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    A woman who collaborated on a scam that took $400,000 from 14,000 GoFundMe donors was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday (to serve at the same time as her one-year federal sentence), according to the Associated Press.


    Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.

    The woman, Kate McClure, was part of a three-person scammer team, led by McClure and her then-boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, who cooked up a story in 2017 about raising money to support a homeless veteran.

    In a GoFundMe, McClure claimed a veteran who was without housing used his last $20 to buy a can of gas for her after she ran out of fuel while driving on the highway into Philadelphia, per The Arizona Republic.

    Several outlets covered the viral feel-good story, and the group went on national television programs like Good Morning America.

    While fundraising, McClure had said the money was for the veteran to buy a home and a car, a financial attorney and adviser to assist him, and a retirement and trust fund, per the Republic.

    But, the whole thing began to come apart in 2018, when the veteran and intended recipient of the funds, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., said in the press that the couple had not given him the funds and sued the couple for the money, saying in the suit he only received $75,000.

    After his legal move, authorities began looking into the issue, per the AP.

    It turned out that McClure and D’Amico had met Bobbitt while he was asking for money outside of a casino they went to often, then-Burlington County, New Jersey Prosecutor Scott Coffina said in 2018, per NJ.com. Then, they made a plan to help Bobbitt — and themselves, by posting a fake GoFundMe story and splitting the money.

    “The gas part is completely made up but the guy isn’t… I had to make something up so people will feel bad,” McClure wrote in a text message to D’Amico reviewed by federal prosecutors, per The New York Times.

    McClure and D’Amico ended up using the money on a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon, a BMW, and designer bags, federal authorities later said, per The New York Times.

    If Bobbitt had not spoken out and sued the couple, however, it’s unlikely the trio would have been caught, Coffina noted in 2018.

    After charges were announced against the group in 2018, GoFundMe refunded the donors. It has also said it would help Bobbitt receive funds in some manner, but it is unclear if that happened.

    GoFundMe told Entrepreneur via email that it “has zero tolerance for misuse of our platform.”

    “We cooperated fully with law enforcement to ensure that these individuals were held accountable for their crimes and all donors were refunded,” the company added.

    McClure faced charges at the federal and state level and pleaded guilty to both in 2019. Authorities said the conspiracy was said to be the largest in GoFundMe history at the time, per the AP.

    Bobbitt was an unhoused veteran who had served briefly in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was first admitted to a substance recovery program that involves extensive drug testing and was sentenced in New Jersey in early October to three years of probation for his role in the scam, per NJ.com.

    D’Amico was sentenced to five years in state prison in August, to be served alongside his 27-month federal sentence, per CBS News.

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    Gabrielle Bienasz

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  • Woman sentenced to three years in state prison for collecting $400,000 in viral GoFundMe scam | CNN

    Woman sentenced to three years in state prison for collecting $400,000 in viral GoFundMe scam | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A New Jersey woman has been sentenced to three years in state prison for her role in scamming more than $400,000 from GoFundMe donors, by claiming to be collecting money for a homeless man.

    Katelyn McClure, 32, is currently serving a 12-month and one day term in a federal prison in Connecticut for her involvement in the scheme, the Burlington County Prosecutor announced in a news release Friday.

    Her state sentence will run concurrently with her federal prison time, according to the prosecutor’s office. The judge also ruled McClure, who formerly worked at the state Department of Transportation, is “permanently barred from ever holding another position as a public employee,” the release said.

    In 2017, McClure claimed she ran out of gas and was stranded on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. The homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., supposedly saw her and gave her his last $20 for gas.

    McClure and her then-boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, posted about the “good deed” on social media, including a picture of her with Bobbitt on a highway ramp. They also started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the homeless veteran, saying they wanted to pay it forward to the good Samaritan and get him off the streets.

    The story went viral and made national headlines, with more than 14,000 donors contributing. The scammers netted around $367,000 after fees, according to court documents.

    Prosecutors said the then-couple spent the money on a BMW, a New Year’s trip to Las Vegas, gambling in casinos, Louis Vuitton handbags, and other items.

    Bobbitt, who received $75,000 from the fundraiser, according to prosecutors, took civil action against D’Amico and McClure and the scam soon became public.

    An investigation revealed the real story. According to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina, the couple first met Bobbitt at an off-ramp near a casino at least a month before the GoFundMe campaign went live. Investigators reviewed texts the couple sent discussing the scam and their money troubles, including one McClure sent to a friend which read, “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.”

    D’Amico and Bobbitt were charged in 2018 alongside her for concocting the scheme, prosecutors said.

    McClure pleaded guilty to one count of theft by deception in the second degree in 2019, according to the Burlington County prosecutor.

    Bobbitt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft by deception in 2019 and was sentenced to a five-year special probation period which includes drug treatment. D’Amico also pleaded guilty and agreed to a five-year term in New Jersey state prison, as well as restitution of GoFundMe and the donors, in 2019.

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  • First Responders Resiliency, Inc. Launches Capital Campaign for New Center

    First Responders Resiliency, Inc. Launches Capital Campaign for New Center

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    New Facility Will Provide Greater Level of Services to First Responders Nationwide

    Press Release
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    updated: Apr 14, 2021


    SANTA ROSA, Calif., April 14, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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    First Responders Resiliency, Inc. (FRRI), a ground-breaking nonprofit dedicated to training first responders and their families, is pleased to announce a Capital Campaign to build the first-of-its-kind First Responder Resiliency Center in Sonoma County, California.

    Founded in 2018, FRRI’s award-winning, proactive behavioral wellness program has since signed a two-year contract with CAL FIRE, trained more than 4,200 first responders and their families nationwide, and is set to train nearly 1,000 more before the end of 2021. With the support of researchers, nurses, doctors and therapists, the program is run entirely by retired first responders who realized the reactive programs offered to them in the past were not creating lasting change to rates of depression, disability or suicide within the first responder community.

    This center will profoundly transform the lives of first responders by providing a designated location for first responders to receive the support they so desperately need to mitigate the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Injuries. First responders will continue to benefit from their centralized conferences, educational programs, physical resiliency training and immediate access to trauma therapists, holistic modalities, support groups and workers comp assistance.

    The campaign was launched by an anonymous donation of $100,000 with the hopes of raising nearly $9 million to complete the center.

    Donations are being collected through GoFundMe.

    Learn more about the Resiliency Center at www.resiliency1st.org or contact First Responders Resiliency, Inc. at info@resiliency1st.org for more information.

    Source: First Responders Resiliency, Inc. (FRRI)

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