Thomas Mascia, a former New York State Trooper, was sentenced to six months in jail today in a Nassau County courthouse. He previously pleaded guilty to charges including falsely reporting an incident, tampering with physical evidence, and official misconduct after falsely claiming to have been shot by an unknown attacker, as reported by CBS News New York.
In October of last year, Mascia reported being shot in the leg while assisting a disabled vehicle on the Southern State Parkway. This report prompted a large-scale search for a suspect, which was later determined to be false when investigators found that Mascia had inflicted the injury on himself. As part of his plea agreement, Mascia agreed to pay $289,511 in restitution and serve five years of probation.
During sentencing, Judge Robert Bogle addressed Mascia’s conduct, stating, "To say that you failed to meet those standards is a drastic understatement." According to the New York Post, Bogle encouraged Mascia to reflect on his "misdeeds and abuse of official authority" while serving his sentence. He described the incident as involving "fraud and dangerous, outrageous" behavior and referred to the resulting search effort as a "wild goose chase."
Authorities have indicated that Mascia’s reported actions may have been an attempt to gain sympathy from a former girlfriend. As per CBS News New York, this was not the first such report; in 2022, Mascia claimed he had been injured by a hit-and-run driver, though that allegation was not verified. During a related investigation, Mascia’s parents were also charged after a search of their home uncovered an illegal firearm and a large amount of cash.
Mascia resigned from the force on January 24 after the incident. He could have faced up to three years in prison, but received a reduced sentence as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced to six months in jail, five years of probation, and ordered to pay $375 in fines and restitution. Prosecutors said the deal was fair because it included jail time. His sentencing was originally planned for August but was delayed until this week.
.jpg){kind=link}