Tables have turned for a state trooper as he’s now facing criminal charges for allegedly making up a shooting. The former New York trooper was allegedly looking for “attention or sympathy,” according to a criminal complaint, after officials say an investigation into a reported shooting unexpectedly took a turn.
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It all started in October 2024 when Thomas Mascia “initiated a radio transmission for shots fired” while on duty, according to the complaint obtained by ABC News. The 27-year-old officer then “claimed he was shot by the driver of a black Dodger Charger described as either a Black or dark-skinned Hispanic male.”
The alleged crime scene was temporarily shut down by state police “in an effort to locate the non-existent shooters, causing alarm and inconvenience to the public,” the complaint said. A multi-state manhunt was launched, involving law enforcement from New York, New Jersey and Delaware, said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. She also added during a recent news conference Mascia allegedly staged the Oct. 30 shooting after hours of preparation.
The 27-year-old allegedly dropped nine .22-caliber shell casings at the scene and later drove to Hempstead Lake State Park where he shot himself in the leg, according to NBC News. Then, Mascia allegedly brought the same gun to his home before driving back to the parkway and reporting he had been shot, according to officials.
“The evidence uncovered and the absence of evidence told us everything we needed to know,” the district attorney said. “Even though Mascia tried to hide his tracks, it didn’t take long for everyone to uncover that his harrowing story was nothing more than an elaborate work of fiction.”
An investigation into the matter was conducted by state police and the district attorney’s office, according to ABC. They soon found no evidence to back Mascia’s testimony and a subsequent search of Mascia’s home, where he lived with his parents, only got him into deeper trouble.
A second firearm was found in his home, but the problem is his father, Thomas, is a convicted felon, making it illegal for him to be in possession of a gun, said Donnelly. Both Thomas and his wife, Dorothy, consequently turned themselves into police on Monday (Jan. 27) for criminal possession of a firearm charges, according to the district attorney’s office.
Mascia also surrendered himself to police, according to a spokesperson for the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. Now, he’s been charged with tampering with evidence, false reporting of a crime and official misconduct, according to reports.
Jeffrey Lichtman, a lawyer for the Mascia family said “There are many less severe and less dangerous ways to garner sympathy that don’t include shooting oneself,” he said. “This case is a tragedy that was caused by unseen and untreated mental health issues. And now an entire family is suffering for it as they usually do in such situations.”
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