A former New York state trooper will serve six months in jail for fabricating his own shooting while on the job.
Thomas J. Mascia, 28, pleaded guilty in May to a felony charge of tampering with physical evidence, as well as two misdemeanors: false reporting of an incident and official misconduct, according to a Nassau County District Attorney’s Office press release dated October 22.
According to prosecutors, Mascia reported being shot in the leg during a parkway traffic stop on October 30, 2024, by a “Black or dark-skinned” male driver wearing a balaclava mask. Authorities have recovered. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment after being found with 22-caliber round casings. Police also issued a warning for the suspect’s Dodge Charger.
However, an inquiry determined that Mascia had faked the shooting. Prosecutors said he left.22 caliber shell casings at his position on the Southern State Parkway, drove to Hempstead Lake Park, and shot himself before returning to the site to report the incident. The firearm was found during a search of his family’s residence on November 2, 2024.
“An investigation into the scene revealed no video evidence, eyewitnesses, or license plates matching the description provided by the former trooper,” according to the press statement. Prosecutors stated that no projectiles or tire marks were detected at the scene.
In a press release, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly described Mascia’s acts as “as meticulously calculated as they were disgraceful.”
“His lies wasted hundreds of hours of law enforcement manpower, deeply cost taxpayers in Nassau County, and betrayed the public’s trust of those in uniform,” according to her.
According to CBS News, the DA believes Mascia shot himself so that the world would perceive him as a hero, and that he was trying to impress a “ex-girlfriend.”
Mascia was also sentenced to five years probation, forced to pay $289,511 in reparations, and compelled to seek mental health therapy, according to the announcement.
Mascia’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, told the Associated Press that he is “mortified by his actions and happy to finally get on with his life.”
His father, Thomas A. Mascia, and mother, Dorothy Mascia, were both charged with possessing an illegal firearm discovered during a search of the family residence, according to authorities.
The father pleaded guilty to a felony firearms offense and was sentenced to five years of probation. The mother was sentenced to conditional discharge after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor firearms charge, according to the announcement.
