The saga of the Massachusetts transit employee, the insurance scam, and the pumpkin-wielding maniac continues.
Trolley operator Thomas Lucey, 46, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to an incident in which he allegedly paid an associate to assault him so he could collect workers’ compensation and disability insurance, according to a report from WickedLocal.com.
The saga began in 2016, on the night before Halloween. A man wearing a Michael Myers mask and carrying a plastic pumpkin boarded the trolley Lucey was driving, then reportedly pulled Lucey out of the trolley and punched him repeatedly before vanishing into the night, much like the real Michael Myers.
In the aftermath of the assault, Lucey filed for workers’ compensation insurance, according to the Suffolk County, Mass., District Attorney’s Office. “He also received long-term disability insurance, citing post-traumatic stress from the incident,” the office said in a statement.
But whereas the real Michael Myers has the presence of mind to vanish completely, at least between sequels, Lucey’s assailant had made a critical error. To wit, he’d accidentally left his plastic pumpkin at the scene. Police obtained a fingerprint from the pumpkin – a fingerprint that ultimately led to an acquaintance of Lucey’s, according to WickedLocal.com. When confronted with the evidence, the man allegedly admitted that Lucey had paid him $2,000 to stage the attack. His story “was corroborated by bank records and phone records that showed communication between the two before and after the assault,” the DA’s office said.
Prosecutors requested that Lucey be held on $2,000 bail, WickedLocal.com reported. The judge, however, released the alleged criminal mastermind on his own recognizance. Lucey is due back in court April 13 for a hearing.
