Tue Sep 24 03:29:24 UTC 2024: ## Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing $64,000 from GoFundMe for Murder Victim’s Family

**Ballarat, Victoria** – A 22-year-old man, Lachlan Morganti, has pleaded guilty to stealing over $64,000 from a GoFundMe campaign he organized for the family of a murder victim. The funds were intended to support the family of Hannah McGuire, 21, who was found dead in a burnt-out car in April.

Morganti, who admitted to battling mental health issues and a gambling addiction, squandered the money on his gambling habit. He had initially set up the GoFundMe page to help McGuire’s family cope with her tragic death, but instead, he betrayed the trust of the community and the victim’s family.

Debbie McGuire, Hannah’s mother, delivered a powerful victim impact statement, expressing her devastation and anger. “Not only did the accused violate our trust, but he had a complete disregard for and betrayal of the trust and generosity of an entire community,” she said.

The court was told that Morganti had already spent $10,000 of his superannuation on gambling before the GoFundMe funds hit his account. This incident has caused immense pain and heartache for the McGuire family and the Ballarat community, where three women were allegedly murdered at the start of the year.

“We won’t ever be able to spend the money in the way we intended. It’s gone, and we’ll never get it back,” Ms. McGuire said.

Morganti is due to be sentenced on October 1.

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