A former New York State Trooper was sentenced to six months in jail on Wednesday, Oct. 22, after shooting himself in the leg and fabricating a story in which he was shot by a “dark-skinned man” in Hempstead State Lake Park, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Thomas Mascia, 27, of West Hempstead, was arrested in January after he shot himself in the leg on Oct. 30, 2024, called in shots fired, and told his fellow officers he was shot by a man who fled “near Malverne.” His claim launched a multi-state manhunt for a shooter who did not exist. In May, he admitted to his lies on what was his first day on the job.
As a condition of his probation, Mascia will also have to undergo mental health treatment and pay $289,511.
“Thomas Mascia’s actions were as meticulously calculated as they were disgraceful,” Donnelly said following the sentencing.
She had previously said that “it didn’t take long for everyone to uncover that his harrowing story was nothing more than an elaborate work of fiction.”
Thomas Mascia had resigned as a state trooper effective Jan. 24, and had been charged with false reporting of a crime, tampering with evidence and official misconduct. His parents were also charged with criminal possession of a firearm.
Mascia reported being shot at 11:42 p.m. on Oct. 30 near exit 17 on the Southern State Parkway, Hempstead State Lake Park. Mascia described the shooter as a “dark-skinned man” who drove a Dodge Charger and had a temporary New Jersey license plate. He said the shooter fled “near Malverne.”
A $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case was issued after he was treated and released from Nassau University Medical Center, where troopers had lined up to support him upon his release. The ensuing investigation spanned New York, New Jersey and Delaware.
Inconsistencies in Mascia’s story quickly raised red flags. Nine shell casings were found at the scene, but no projectiles. There were no tire marks indicating a Dodge Charger had ever been at the scene nor was the car seen on any surrounding surveillance footage. Further, Mascia’s body camera did not activate at the appropriate time, and when it did, he took measures to cover it, Donnelly said.
Additional reporting was done by Nicole Formisano.
