Bellows bill would help victims of GoFundMe fraud get justice

A bill submitted by Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, to help victims of online fraud get justice, was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday.

Sen. Bellows submitted the legislation, LD 700, “An Act To Prevent Internet Theft,” after hearing from Pittston residents Jennifer and Rodney Hembree about the pain and frustration she experienced when her godson deceived their friends, neighbors and community members by pocketing money meant to go to the Hembree family through GoFundMe after 16-year-old Tabytha Hembree died in a car accident on the way to her first day of school in 2017.

With Rep. Jeff Hanley, Rodney Hembree and Jennifer Hembree after the public hearing on LD 700

“In a time where GoFundMe is on the rise, we should do everything we can to protect our communities,” said Sen. Bellows. “This bill is an effort to provide the proper tools to law enforcement to bring those who would prey upon a family or community’s tragedy to justice.”

Rep. Jeff Hanley, R-Pittston, cosponsored LD 700 and spoke in favor of the bill at the hearing.

“It’s one thing to lose your child,” said Rep. Hanley. “It’s another to have someone profit from it.”

LD 700 creates the crime of “organized electronic theft,” defined as when someone commits two or more thefts using internet-based sales platforms and internet-based fundraising, including so-called crowdfunding platforms. Punishment for “organized electronic theft” will be dependent upon the total value of the property stolen. The bill also includes an appropriation to establish a computer forensic analyst position within the Department of Public Safety dedicated to the investigation of “organized electronic theft.”

The GoFundMe set up to help the Hembree family after Tabytha’s death quickly raised more than $16,000. Of that, more than $7,000 were stolen from the family – money donated by community members who assumed it would go to the Hembree family.

“Losing a child is the worst thing anyone can go through and that should have been all I needed to deal with at the time, that and healing my son and family,” said Jennifer Hembree. “But instead I had to try and get people their money back and apologize for his actions because I had trusted him and, therefore, so did they.”

LD 700 faces further action before the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee in the coming weeks.