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Mark D'Amico Sentenced To Prison For Role In GoFundMe Scam

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was a GoFundMe scam that made national headlines. On Friday, the accused ring leader, Mark D'Amico, learned this fate for his role.

He will spend 27 months in jail, followed by probation and pay restitution.

Outside of court, he talked about being a changed man.

D'Amico pleaded guilty to the charges back in November. On Friday, he talked about his young daughter with his new girlfriend, the others involved in the scheme. And he insists that he was not the ringleader or the mastermind behind it all.

Following the sentencing, D'Amico, surprisingly, stopped to speak to reporters outside of the courthouse, answering several questions, starting with whether he was disappointed with the sentence.

"A little but I came here expecting the worst. I've been preparing for this for three years. So I'm just glad it's over with, ready to move on," he said.

He says he has proof via text messages that it was his now ex-girlfriend Katelyn McClure's idea to say that homeless veteran Johnny Bobbit Jr. gave her $20 for gas off of 1-95, the central part of the story to garner people's sympathy and to give to the GoFundMe in support of Bobbit.

"That says it was Kate's idea. I have that text message," D'Amico said.

He says he hasn't seen McClure since the day the house they were living in together got raided three or four years ago.

Here's how he answered when asked if he had anything to say to Bobbit.

"Not really. I hope he's doing OK, I hope he's clean. I don't have any ill will," D'Amico said.

D'Amico was asked if he hopes that McClure receives a sentence similar in length to the one he was given.

"I don't hope anything. A lot of people love to ask me that question. I honestly spent zero time of my life thinking about that," he said.

D'Amico said he didn't work with the feds because he can't be a rat and he can't lie, and he attempted to set the record straight about all that unfolded.

"I'll make this very clear. Literally every part of this story is 100% true except for the gas," D'Amico said.

McClure and Bobbit are currently awaiting sentencing for the roles they played in the scheme in which 14,000 donors gave over $400,000 to their cause.

GoFundMe has refunded those donors their money.

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