PHOTOS: Thomas J. Mascia, New York State Trooper Sentenced After Staging His Own Shooting to Impress Ex-Girlfriend

A former New York State Trooper, Thomas J. Mascia, 28, has been sentenced to six months in jail after admitting he staged his own shooting while on duty — an elaborate hoax prosecutors say he carried out to impress his ex-girlfriend.

According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Mascia pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of tampering with physical evidence and two misdemeanors: falsely reporting an incident and official misconduct.

Authorities said the incident occurred on October 30, 2024, when Mascia claimed he had been shot in the leg during a traffic stop on the Southern State Parkway. He radioed that a “Black or dark-skinned” male driver wearing a balaclava mask had fired at him before fleeing in a Dodge Charger. Police rushed to the scene, recovered several .22-caliber shell casings, and transported Mascia to a nearby hospital for treatment.

However, the story quickly unraveled. Investigators found no eyewitnesses, surveillance footage, or vehicle matches consistent with Mascia’s account. No bullet projectiles or tire marks were found at the scene either.

A deeper investigation revealed that Mascia had fabricated the entire incident. Prosecutors said he planted the shell casings at his assigned post before driving to Hempstead Lake Park, where he shot himself in the leg with a .22-caliber rifle. He then returned to the parkway and falsely reported the shooting. Police later found the rifle during a search of his family’s home on November 2, 2024.

Thomas J. Mascia, New York State Trooper Sentenced After Staging His Own Shooting to Impress Ex-Girlfriend

In a statement, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly condemned Mascia’s actions as “as meticulously calculated as they were disgraceful.”

“His lies wasted hundreds of hours of law enforcement manpower, deeply cost taxpayers in Nassau County, and betrayed the public’s trust of those in uniform,” Donnelly said.

Prosecutors believe Mascia’s motive stemmed from a desire for attention and sympathy. Donnelly added that Mascia appeared to have staged the shooting “so the public could see him as a hero” and that he was allegedly trying to impress an ex-girlfriend at the time.

Along with his jail sentence, Thomas J. Mascia was ordered to serve five years of probation, pay $289,511 in restitution, and undergo mandatory mental health treatment.

Mascia’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, told the Associated Press that his client is “mortified by his actions and happy to finally get on with his life.”

The case also led to charges against Mascia’s parents. During the investigation, authorities discovered an illegal firearm at the family home. His father, Thomas A. Mascia, pleaded guilty to a felony weapons charge and received five years’ probation. His mother, Dorothy Mascia, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge and received a conditional discharge.