The New Jersey man who helped fabricate a heartwarming story about a homeless veteran and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for him through an online fundraiser pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to wire fraud, authorities said.
According to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss multiple charges against the man, Mark D’Amico, 42, over the “Paying It Forward” scheme, which raised $400,000 from 14,000 people four years ago.