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The West Virginia clan branded “America’s most inbred family” have claimed two YouTubers who promised to help them instead pocketed more than $100,000 in cash intended to help the poverty-stricken family.
State police have begun investigating Lawrence “Eric” Carroll, 41, of Georgia, and John “Patrick” Roark, 46, of Odd, after fans sent money and gifts meant for the Whittaker family.
The Beckley Detachment announced last month on Facebook it had opened a probe into a “fraudulent scheme that involves money and merchandise being sent to the Whittaker family.”
Both men denied wrongdoing to The Post.
The Whittakers became internet famous in 2020 after a documentary showed their severe disabilities and the conditions inside their collapsing home in Odd, about eighty miles south of Charleston.
The videos triggered a flood of online donations.
Ray, Timmy and Lorene Whittaker were removed from their home and placed under state guardianship in September, relatives told the Daily Mail, saying they were never given a clear reason for why.
The investigation has fueled questions about why the family still lives in squalor. Larry Whittaker, 69, told the outlet he believes the donations never reached them.
“Eric got it!” he said. “Far as I know, Eric got it and took off then, that’s all I know. Patrick got some of our money, I don’t know how much.”
Roark told The Post Saturday the only questionable funds in the entire saga were the donations that went through Carroll’s YouTube account.
“The only kind of fraud that has existed is the donations that went into a YouTube account that Eric Carroll owns,” he said.
He claimed “not a dime” that passed through YouTube ever went to him.
Carroll told The Post he only received “standard platform monetization” and said, “I have ensured the Whitaker family will receive their appropriate share of the revenue.”
In a written statement, he said he has “proactively reached out to law enforcement and offered full cooperation,” denied ever soliciting donations for the family and argued he has held revenue until a proper trust can be set up.
Carroll also disputed Roark’s claims about missing money.
“A good portion of the funds flowed to accounts he controlled, and I still need his records to complete a full accounting,” Carroll said.
He added that the Whitakers “received about one-third” of the revenue for one month after Roark allegedly used “more than half” of their share for expenses but “never provided receipts.”
Troopers served a warrant and seized two of Roark’s phones. He said he has no plans to turn over more information, calling the investigation a “witch hunt.”
“They don’t have nothing on me. They may think they have something on me, but they don’t,” he said.
Roark and Carroll created “official” Whittaker social media pages in June, then asked followers for cash and supplies.
They rolled out subscription tiers up to $9.99 a month and put the family on Cameo, charging $50 for fans and $400 for businesses.
Roark also claimed to have a three-way contract to split revenue between him, Carroll and the family, though he did not produce a copy to The Post.
The YouTube channel made “well over $100,000” and that about $14,000 from his Facebook videos is still sitting in his Venmo, Roark said.
He added he plans to release the money “through lawyers” and insisted it “had to be put in a fund” so the family would not lose state benefits.
Larry claimed the pair promised to use the donations to build a new home but never followed through.
“They didn’t do it, they took the goddamn money and left!” he said.
English (US)