Nationwide — Thomas Mascia, a former New York state trooper who faked his own shooting to impress his ex-girlfriend, has been sentenced to only six months in jail after falsely blaming a Black man for the staged attack that triggered a major police manhunt.
Mascia, 27, admitted to shooting himself in the leg during a staged traffic stop on the Southern State Parkway in West Hempstead on October 30, 2024. At the time, he told police that a Black man driving a black Dodge Charger shot him before speeding away, setting off a massive search for a suspect who never existed.
Investigators later learned that the entire incident was staged. Prosecutors said Mascia carried out the stunt to gain sympathy from his ex-girlfriend, a Long Island nurse who had recently broken up with him. In a calculated move, he even asked first responders to take him to the hospital where she worked so he could see her, according to the New York Post.
Authorities found that Mascia had researched gunshot wounds beforehand, including “liver shot” injuries and what it feels like to be shot. To make the scene look real, he scattered shell casings along the parkway before calling for help.
The fake shooting caused panic across New York’s law enforcement community and wasted hundreds of police hours. Days later, unaware of the truth, officers gave Mascia a ceremonial “walkout” from the hospital, applauding him as a supposed hero.
When the truth came out, Mascia resigned from the force on January 24, 2025. He originally faced up to three years in prison but later pleaded guilty to official misconduct and tampering with evidence in exchange for a reduced sentence of six months in jail, five years of probation, and nearly $290,000 in restitution.
During sentencing, Nassau County Judge Robert Bogle called Mascia’s behavior a “wild goose chase” and a “deliberate betrayal of public trust.” District Attorney Anne Donnelly described his actions as “premeditated and pathetic.”
Mascia’s parents, who faced separate weapons charges, were fined but spared jail time. His lawyer said Mascia deeply regrets the incident and is now undergoing mental health treatment.