Former New York State Trooper Arrested for Alleged False Shooting Report

Following an investigation into a fictitious shooting incident on the Southern State Parkway, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced Monday that former State Trooper Thomas J. Mascia, 27, of West Hempstead, NY, had been arrested. The fabricated report followed a slew of previous police shootings. Mascia has been charged with official misconduct, falsifying an incident report, and tampering with physical evidence, according to a New York State Police release. Since then, he has also quit his job with the department. State Police also said that Mascia’s parents, Dorothy Mascia, 55, and Thomas Mascia Sr., 62, of West Hempstead, had been arrested.

After an unlawfully held firearm was found during a search of the family home, they are being charged with criminal possession of a firearm. According to authorities, Mascia reported being shot in the leg on October 30, 2024, while looking inside a disabled vehicle in the median of the westbound Southern State Parkway close to Exit 17 at around 11:45 p.m. The report led to a thorough search for the car Mascia described, and he was treated for a gunshot wound to his right leg. However, Mascia was found to have made up the story after an inquiry by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the Troop L Bureau of Criminal inquiry. According to the authorities.

Authorities disclosed that Mascia had falsely reported the incident to the State Police after shooting himself in the leg. He claimed to have seen a disabled car and a suspect, but there was no proof to back up his statements. His parents were charged when a later search request at the Mascia family home turned up a handgun that police concluded was unlawfully in their possession.

The members of the Mascia family were released after being charged in Hempstead district court. Their next court date is set for February 5, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. “The actions of this former trooper undermined public trust and diverted critical resources,” Superintendent James and District Attorney Donnelly said, underscoring the gravity of the allegations. This kind of conduct won’t be tolerated.” “This case shows that no one is above the law, and we will hold those who try to deceive law enforcement accountable,” said District Attorney Donnelly. The inquiry is still under progress.