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Online Fund Raises Thousands for Recently Exonerated Man

More than 400 people have donated almost $30,000 to Jonathan Fleming, a recently exonerated New York man.

The recent exoneration of Jonathan Fleming inspired one man to launch a crowd fundraising campaign to help the wrongfully convicted prisoner get back on track.

As of Friday, more than 400 people have donated nearly $30,000 to an IndieGogo campaign simply titled, "Help Jonathan Fleming."

"I decided, 'OK, I'm going to do something about this,'" said Alex Sutaru, 32, the campaign's organizer. The finance executive launched the fundraiser after receiving clearance from Fleming's lawyers, Anthony Mayol and Taylor Koss. 

The 51-year-old, who was freed last week, had spent nearly 25 years behind bars for a 1989 killing that happened while he was on a family trip to Disney World. A judge threw out the case in March after Brooklyn prosecutors found documents that backed Fleming's Florida alibi and his defense team located witnesses who implicated another suspect.

Koss told the AP that Fleming plans to pursue wrongful-conviction lawsuits against the city and state.

“I knew I was innocent,” said Fleming. “I kept faith. I kept faith in God. I said he’s going to get me through this, and I will prove my innocence.”

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(Photo: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

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