Former N.Y. Trooper Charged for Faking His Own Shooting to Gain Sympathy, Prosecutors Say
Thomas Mascia faces charges for tampering with evidence, false reporting, and official misconduct after staging a shooting incident.
LONG ISLAND — A former New York state trooper who claimed he was shot by an unknown assailant on a Long Island highway, triggering a multistate manhunt, has been charged with staging the entire incident. Prosecutors allege that Thomas Mascia shot himself and later fabricated the story.
Mascia, 27, and his parents, Dorothy and Thomas Mascia, surrendered to state police on Monday. The charges against them include tampering with evidence, false reporting of a crime, and official misconduct. Dorothy, 55, and Thomas, 62, a former NYPD officer, each face a charge of criminal possession of a firearm due to the discovery of a semiautomatic rifle with illegal modifications in their bedroom. The rifle was not the weapon Mascia allegedly used to shoot himself, but prosecutors noted that his father, a convicted felon, is prohibited from owning firearms.
The three defendants pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance. Their next court appearance is set for February 5.
Jeffrey Lichtman, the Mascia family’s attorney, attributed Mascia’s actions to untreated mental health issues. “There are many less severe and less dangerous ways to garner sympathy that don’t include shooting oneself,” Lichtman said. “This case is a tragedy, caused by untreated mental health issues, and now an entire family is suffering.”
The state police and the district attorney’s office launched an investigation into Mascia's claims, but found no evidence to support his version of events. Mascia had reported stopping on the Southern State Parkway to assist a disabled vehicle before being shot by an unknown assailant. Investigators found no evidence of the stranded motorist or the alleged shooter described by Mascia.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly revealed on Monday that Mascia had staged the shooting. Hours before he reported being shot, Mascia dropped .22-caliber shell casings on the parkway and then shot himself in the leg at Hempstead Lake State Park. Afterward, he took the gun to his home and returned to the parkway to falsely report the shooting.
Mascia’s false report led to a massive law enforcement response across multiple states, including New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. The subsequent investigation found that Mascia had caused unnecessary disruption by prompting the temporary shutdown of the parkway and misdirecting state police.
In his fabricated story, Mascia claimed he had been shot by a man in a black sedan, possibly a Dodge Charger with a temporary New Jersey license plate. However, after conducting extensive video canvassing, investigators were unable to locate any evidence of such a vehicle. Furthermore, while nine shell casings were found at the scene, no projectiles were recovered.
Through GPS and other technology, investigators were able to trace Mascia’s movements and determine that he had shot himself in the leg.
"The evidence uncovered and the absence of evidence told us everything we needed to know,” District Attorney Donnelly said. “Even though Mascia tried to cover his tracks, it didn’t take long for us to reveal that his story was nothing more than an elaborate fabrication.”
Mascia was initially treated for a gunshot wound and received a ceremonial welcome upon his release from the hospital. Law enforcement agencies had celebrated his recovery and pledged to find the dangerous shooter who had supposedly attacked him. However, Donnelly made it clear that the shooter never existed: "The shooter we were looking for only existed in Mascia’s imagination."