Latest news with #ThomasMascia
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
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. With News Wire Services
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
N.Y. manhunt aftermath: Ex-state trooper pleads guilty to shooting himself, faking crime scene
May 21 (UPI) -- An ex-New York state police officer on Wednesday pleaded guilty to shooting himself in the leg as part of a fake crime scene in what prosecutors said was a plan to gain sympathy. Former trooper Thomas Mascia, 27, admitted in court that he staged the supposed crime scene on October 30 after he claimed to have been injured by an unknown shooter near exit 17 of New York's Southern State Parkway while checking on a disabled vehicle. The West Hempstead resident pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting a police incident and for official misconduct. He is expected to serve six months in prison, five years of probation and must undergo continued mental health treatment and pay more than $289,500 in restitution. Mascia admitted that he spread shells at the alleged scene, then drove in his state vehicle to nearby Hempstead Lake State Park, where he then shot himself with the same caliber rifle loaded with the same shells left on the highway. It is there where he returned and called in the staged incident. "You weren't shot by someone else?" asked the assistant Nassau County district attorney, to which Mascia replied: "Yes." His actions had set off a statewide manhunt for the suspected vehicle Mascia described until investigators discovered the gunshot was self-inflicted. Mascia attorney Jeffrey Lichtman stated Mascia also lied about getting hit by a car during an alleged 2022 hit-and-run incident upstate, adding that state police officials missed the signs of mental distress which, according to Lichtman, was what led to October's staged event. The former state trooper saw a delayed plea deal earlier this month after Mascia inadvertently expressed that he was not in good mental health. On Wednesday, he said "yes" after the judge inquired if he was in a good mental state. Additionally, Mascia's parents were charged with criminal possession of a firearm. Thomas Mascia Sr., a former NYPD officer until his conviction in the 1990s for his role in a cocaine ring, was charged after a search of the home related to the incident uncovered an illegal assault-style weapon along with about $80,000 in cash. Meanwhile, Mascia is expected to be sentenced on August 20.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
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 will spend six months behind bars after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including official misconduct and tampering with evidence. As part of the plea deal, 27-year-old Thomas Mascia agreed to the 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 $289,500 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. With News Wire Services
UPI
21-05-2025
- UPI
N.Y. manhunt aftermath: Ex-state trooper pleads guilty to shooting himself, faking crime scene
May 21 (UPI) -- An ex-New York state police officer on Wednesday pleaded guilty to shooting himself in the leg as part of a fake crime scene in what prosecutors said was a plan to gain sympathy. Former trooper Thomas Mascia, 27, admitted in court that he staged the supposed crime scene on October 30 after he claimed to have been injured by an unknown shooter near exit 17 of New York's Southern State Parkway while checking on a disabled vehicle. The West Hempstead resident pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting a police incident and for official misconduct. He is expected to serve six months in prison, five years of probation and must undergo continued mental health treatment and pay more than $289,500 in restitution. Mascia admitted that he spread shells at the alleged scene, then drove in his state vehicle to nearby Hempstead Lake State Park, where he then shot himself with the same caliber rifle loaded with the same shells left on the highway. It is there where he returned and called in the staged incident. "You weren't shot by someone else?" asked the assistant Nassau County district attorney, to which Mascia replied: "Yes." His actions had set off a statewide manhunt for the suspected vehicle Mascia described until investigators discovered the gunshot was self-inflicted. Mascia attorney Jeffrey Lichtman stated Mascia also lied about getting hit by a car during an alleged 2022 hit-and-run incident upstate, adding that state police officials missed the signs of mental distress which, according to Lichtman, was what led to October's staged event. The former state trooper saw a delayed plea deal earlier this month after Mascia inadvertently expressed that he was not in good mental health. On Wednesday, he said "yes" after the judge inquired if he was in a good mental state. Additionally, Mascia's parents were charged with criminal possession of a firearm. Thomas Mascia Sr., a former NYPD officer until his conviction in the 1990s for his role in a cocaine ring, was charged after a search of the home related to the incident uncovered an illegal assault-style weapon along with about $80,000 in cash. Meanwhile, Mascia is expected to be sentenced on August 20.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Former NYS trooper pleads guilty to staging his own shooting on Long Island
A former New York State trooper who shot himself and then lied about it pleaded guilty Wednesday on Long Island. Thomas Mascia pleaded guilty to falsely reporting an incident, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct. He acknowledged he planned the shooting, planted spent rounds on the parkway and then drove to a park and shot himself in the leg. Mascia faced up to four years in prison, but will only receive six months in jail, plus five years probation. He will also pay restitution of $289,511. Sentencing is set for August 20. The 27-year-old from West Hempstead was expected to enter a plea earlier this month, but when the judge asked him if he was in good mental health – a routine question – Mascia answered, "No." He quickly changed his answer to yes, but the judge put the plea on hold after he signed a court document as "Trooper" Mascia even though he had been fired from New York State Police. Trooper staged his own shooting on Southern State Parkway Trooper Thomas Mascia is released from the hospital on Nov. 1, 2024 days after being shot. CBS News New York Mascia claimed he was shot in the leg while checking on a disabled vehicle on the Southern State Parkway last October. His report set off a manhunt for the vehicle and the suspect he described, but investigators discovered Mascia actually shot himself. "The shooter we were all looking for only existed in Mascia's head, in his imagination," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said when the charges were announced earlier this year. Prosecutors said he staged the whole thing -- dropped shell casings on the parkway, drove to Hempstead Lake Park where he shot himself, and then returned to report the shooting. Police have suggested Mascia was looking for attention or sympathy from an ex-girlfriend. CBS News New York learned he also claimed he was injured by a hit-and-run driver in 2022, but that story was unsubstantiated. Mascia's parents, Dorothy and Thomas Sr. -- a former NYPD officer convicted in a 1990s cocaine ring -- were charged with criminal possession of a firearm after prosecutors said a search of the home they share with their son uncovered an illegal assault-style gun and $80,000 in cash. Renee Anderson Renee Anderson is a digital producer at CBS New York, where she covers breaking news and other local stories. Before joining the team in 2016, Renee worked at WMUR-TV. contributed to this report.
