SULLIVAN, Ind. (WISH) — A former part-owner of the Sullivan Automotive Group dealership on Friday was arrested on racketeering charges after an Indiana State Police investigation. Joseph A. Mascari, 57, Terre Haute, has been accused of thefts and forgeries totaling $297,000 from April 2020 to April 2023. An investigation of Master Trooper Detective Tim Denby found Mascari deprived the Sullivan Automotive Group of funds through various schemes, including extending unauthorized control and inflating invoice amounts, for personal gain. Sullivan County Prosecutor Ann Mischler requested an arrest warrant for Mascari, who was taken into custody without incident. State police said in a news release issued Friday night that Mascari was being held in the Sullivan County jail on a $117,000 bond. However, an online roster from the jail did not list Mascari as an inmate on Friday night. Online court records did not show a case filed for Mascari on Friday night. State police said he’s facing felony charges including being a corrupt business influence, theft of property greater than $50,000, and forgery with intent to defraud. Mascari’s arrest marks a significant development in the investigation into financial misconduct at the Sullivan Automotive Group. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In 2017, a former controller of the Sullivan Automotive Group was indicted for wire fraud in federal court. The city of Sullivan is about a 1-hour, 30-minute drive southwest of downtown Indianapolis. ...read more read less