From the Sullivan County Prosecutor, Ann Smith Mischler:
On July 23, 2026, a sentencing hearing was conducted in Sullivan Circuit Court in the State of Indiana v. Joseph Anthony Mascari. Prosecutor Ann Smith Mischler charged Joseph Anthony Mascari, age 58, on April 3, 2025, with 12 criminal counts including 1 count of Corrupt Business Influence, 6 counts of Theft, and 5 counts of Forgery.
On May 21, 2026, the parties submitted a Negotiated Plea Agreement to the Court whereby the Defendant pled guilty to Corrupt Business Influence, a Level 5 Felony, and would receive a sentence in the range of 4-6 years, left to the discretion of the Judge of the Sullivan Circuit Court. The Defendant also agreed to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $295,785.72. The victim, Charles Piano, the owner of Sullivan Auto Group, consented to the terms of the plea agreement. Prosecutor Mischler had the victim testify, and he gave a Victim’s Impact Statement at the Sentencing Hearing. At the conclusion of his testimony, the State of Indiana and the victim recommended the Defendant be sentenced to 6 years incarceration in the Department of Corrections.
At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Judge Robert E. Hunley, II, sentenced the Defendant to a $25 fine plus court costs, 6 years in the Department of Corrections with 1 year suspended to be served on probation, and to have no contact with the victim. Mascari was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $295,785.72, which was reduced to a judgment pursuant to statute.
Prosecutor Mischler thanked Detective Tim Denby with the Indiana State Police for his thorough investigation in this case. Prosecutor Mischler said, “Detective Denby’s investigation was complex and thorough. The facts and circumstances presented in the 9-page Probable Cause Affidavit of this case definitely support the sentence imposed by the Judge today.”