*Remember the story of Fred Barley, the homeless teen who biked over six hours and slept in a tent to register for classes at Gordon State College in Georgia?
You may also recall that his claims were called into question by Casey Blaney … the woman who initially started a GoFundMe campaign after being touched by Barley’s story.
Because of Casey Blaney’s doubts after Fred Barley refused to agree to handle the money in a way she approved of, GoFundMe held the $184,000 raised on Fred’s behalf pending an investigation.
Now, according their dispute has been resolved and Fred will be in control of ALL of the money earned on his behalf..
‘So I have some great news for everyone that has been following the story,’ Fred wrote on Facebook.
‘I will be allowed to put [the funds] into a trust that covers both living expenses and help with my tuition.
Here’s what he said about Blaney:
‘Mrs. Blaney would like to turn over everything to her lawyer, and does not want anything to do with the trust account any longer. Together , my attorney and her attorney are working cooperatively to ensure that all assets donated go strictly to me and in a trust that I agree with,’ Fred added.
Backgrounder:
Barley was found sleeping in a tent outside Gordon State in early July. He told police officers who discovered him that he rode his little brother’s bicycle more than 50 miles from Conyers to register for college classes.
The officers put Barley up in a motel, and word quickly spread of the teen’s story on social media. Blaney started the GoFundMe page, and plans were for the money to go into an educational trust. But Barley and Blaney appeared on social media to disagree about who would oversee it.
Here is Fred Barley’s full Facebook statement:
