The man charged in a scheme to defraud online well-wishers of hundreds of thousands with a phony story about a homeless man in Philadelphia admitted to one of his state charges in court Friday.

Mark D’Amico, 40, appeared before Judge Terrence Cook in state Superior Court in Mount Holly to plead guilty to misappropriating entrusted property - donations to the GoFundMe campaign set up for Johnny Bobbitt, a homeless man living along I-95 in Philadelphia.

The campaign centered around a fake story that Bobbitt gave his last $20 to help D’Amico’s ex-girlfriend, Kate McClure, when she ran out of gas. The fundraiser generated hundreds of thousands in donations, which were spent on luxuries including a BMW, handbags and gambling, Burlington County prosecutors have said.

Attorneys said D’Amico will help pay $402,766 in restitution owed to GoFundMe.

“D’Amico knew all along that the money had been disposed of improperly,” Assistant Prosecutor Andrew McDonnell said. He appeared Friday with colleague Saurabh Singal.

As part of the plea, prosecutors will ask for a flat 5-year sentence, to run concurrent to anything that could be imposed in D’Amico’s still unresolved federal case.

“I’m very happy to be able to focus on the federal case,” Mark Davis, the Hamilton attorney who represents D’Amico, said after the plea hearing. That case, which Davis said he expects to go to trial, remains ongoing in federal court in Camden.

Davis noted that D’Amico’s plea did not include any admission to a conspiracy to defraud the more than 14,000 people who donated to the viral campaign. The federal charges include conspiracy to launder money and wire fraud.

“He took responsibility for holding money for Johnny Bobbitt for his benefit, and for spending it,” Davis said.

He expects to argue later to Judge Cook about D’Amico’s inability to pay restitution, and Cook will have to rule on what D’Amico could be expected to pay.

Bobbitt, 36, and McClure, 29, have both pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for their roles in the scam in both state and federal courts.

Bobbitt is currently serving a five-year special probation in drug court. The courts have delayed sentencing dates for McClure several times this summer, but she is expected to face 27 to 33 months and four years in federal and state courts, respectively.

D’Amico’s sentencing in Superior Court will be delayed until the resolution of his federal case. After that point, he is expected to apply for intensive supervision, which -- if granted -- could see him released from prison after five to seven months on an elevated form of parole.

The remaining counts of the state indictment were dismissed as part of the plea Friday.

Prosecutor Scott Coffina, in a written statement after the hearing, reminded the public to always make sure they were donating to a worthwhile cause.

“Today’s proceeding presents an opportunity to remind the public during the holidays to be cautious when considering making a charitable contribution,” he said.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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