A former New York state trooper is going to jail for six months because he made up a story about being shot while he was working.
Thomas J. Mascia, who is 28 years old, admitted in court that he did something wrong. He said he changed some evidence, made a false report, and acted improperly while he was a trooper, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
The police said that Mascia told them he was shot in the leg during a traffic stop. He said the shooter was a “Black or dark-skinned” man wearing a mask. The police found some bullet casings at the place where the shooting was supposed to have happened, and Mascia was taken to the hospital. The police also started looking for the suspect’s car.
But after investigating, the police found out that Mascia had made the whole thing up. They said he put the bullet casings where he was working, went to a park, shot himself, and then went back to the scene to report the shooting. The police found the gun he used at his family’s house.
The police said they didn’t find any videos, witnesses, or license plates that matched Mascia’s story. They also didn’t find any bullets or tire marks at the scene.
The Nassau County District Attorney, Anne Donnelly, said that Mascia’s actions were “carefully planned” and “disgraceful.”
She also said that his lies wasted a lot of time and money for the police and cost the people of Nassau County a lot of money. She added that he broke the public’s trust in the police.
The District Attorney believes that Mascia shot himself so that people would see him as a hero. She also said that he was trying to impress a former girlfriend.
Mascia will also have to spend five years on probation, pay $289,511, and get mental health treatment.
His lawyer said that Mascia is very sorry for what he did and is looking forward to moving on with his life.
Mascia’s parents were also charged with having an illegal gun, which the police found at their house.
Mascia’s father admitted that he had a weapon illegally and was sentenced to five years of probation. His mother admitted that she had a weapon illegally and was given a conditional discharge.
