NORWICH – A New Berlin man indicted on six counts of second degree criminal mischief and one count of tampering with physical evidence for allegedly shooting dead six horses owned by his neighbor pleaded guilty to the top count of the indictment Tuesday morning.
Lauren L. McMaster, 76, of New Berlin, agreed to enter into a plea bargain yesterday morning while in the midst of jury selection. He subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of second degree criminal mischief – a class E felony – and as per the stipulations of the plea bargain will pay restitution, receive five years of probation, and spend weekends in jail for four months. Sentencing was adjourned for two months while the pre-sentence report is updated.
“A lot of time and effort was put into preparing for this case,” said Chenango County First Assistant District Attorney Stephen M. Dunshee. According to the A.D.A., many times when a defendant is faced with a ready jury and a prepared prosecutor they will opt for a plea deal. “I would just like to thank all of the prospective jurors for showing up ready to go.”
According to sworn testimony made during a pre-trial hearing in May, McMaster signed a written statement admitting he had shot the six animals. The shootings were a part of a long-standing disagreement between McMaster and his neighbor, Joseph Mocco Jr., the owner of the animals. McMaster claimed to have engaged Mocco in numerous dialogues regarding livestock roaming onto his property. According to testimony, McMaster stated that – frustrated with the lack of action on the part of Mocco to properly fence his property – he decided to take matters into his own hands when he spied a herd of approximately 14 horses in one his pastures in late April of 2012. He loaded a shotgun, approached the animals, and fired at them. Over the course of a two-day investigation it was allegedly discovered that the defendant had killed six animals, hiding the bodies of four on Mocco’s property.