Former NY trooper Thomas Mascia pleads guilty to faking his own shooting
A former New York State trooper accused of faking his own shooting and sparking a massive manhunt for a made-up suspect pleaded guilty on Wednesday to multiple charges, including official misconduct and tampering with evidence.
As part of the plea deal, 27-year-old Thomas Mascia is expected to be sentenced to a six-month jail term followed by five years probation, during which he'll have to undergo mental health treatment.
The disgraced trooper will also have to pay nearly $290,000 in restitution for overtime pay for officers who spent three days searching for the fabricated suspect.
Prosecutors say that on the night of Oct. 30, 2024, the West Hempstead resident told authorities that a gunman shot him while he was checking on a disabled vehicle on Long Island's Southern State Parkway.
The alleged shooter — who he described as a 'black-skinned' driver of a Dodge Charger with temporary New Jersey license plates — opened fire as Mascia stopped to offer help, he claimed.
Mascia, who was hailed as a hero, was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his right leg as state officials launched a multi-state search to locate the Charger.
But just days after the alleged shooting, state investigators announced they were looking into 'certain inconsistencies' in Mascia's story.
'The evidence uncovered and the absence of evidence told us everything we needed to know,' Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said after an investigation. 'His harrowing story was nothing more than an elaborate work of fiction.'
Prosecutors said he shot himself in a nearby park and then drove to the highway before calling for backup, as part of an elaborate scheme to gain sympathy.
Mascia was arrested in January on charges of tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting an incident and official misconduct. He resigned from state police on Jan. 24.
After initially pleading not guilty, Mascia was expected to accept a plea deal earlier this month, but that hearing was adjourned when he told Nassau County Court Judge Robert Bogle he didn't feel well mentally.
On Wednesday, Mascia formally accepted his plea.
'You knew this was a lie and chose to do it anyway?' Mascia was asked by Jared Rosenblatt, of the district attorney's office, during the proceedings.
'Yes,' he replied.
Mascia will now 'face the consequences for his fabrications and for tarnishing the oath he took to serve and protect New Yorkers,' DA Donnelly said in a statement Wednesday, commenting on the former trooper's 'pathetic stunt.'
Mascia's parents, who were charged with weapon offenses after a semiautomatic rifle with illegal modifications was found in their bedroom during a November search, also pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 20.
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