Archive · 21 May 2025
Ex-NY Trooper Pleads Guilty to Faking Shooting, Faces Jail Time
A former police officer in New York pretended he was shot by someone else.
He told everyone a man shot him on the side of the road.
This caused a big search.
But, the officer actually shot himself in a park and then called for help.
He made up the story to get attention.
Now, he has admitted he was lying and will spend time in jail.
He also has to pay back the money spent looking for the fake shooter.
His parents also pleaded guilty for helping him.
A former New York state trooper pleaded guilty to faking his own shooting.
Thomas Mascia claimed he was shot on a Long Island highway by a "dark-skinned" man.
The false report triggered a large-scale, three-day search operation.
Mascia admitted to shooting himself in a local park and staging the scene.
He will serve jail time, probation, and pay restitution for the search expenses.
- Who
- Former New York state trooper Thomas Mascia.
- What
- Mascia pleaded guilty to charges of faking his own shooting and initiating a false search.
- When
- The shooting incident happened on October 30, with the plea occurring on Wednesday.
- Where
- The staged shooting occurred on the Southern State Parkway in Long Island, NY.
- Why
- The motive for the false shooting was an apparent attempt to gain attention and sympathy, according to prosecutors.
- Sentence
- Six months in jail, five months probation
- Restitution
- $289,000
- Incident Date
- October 30
- Trooper's Residence
- West Hempstead, NY
- Trooper Joined
- 2019