Former NYS trooper who shot himself on Long Island and lied about it sentenced to 6 months in plea deal

"A former New York state trooper who shot himself on Long Island and then lied about it was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison and five years probation as part of a plea deal. Thomas Mascia pleaded guilty over the summer to charges of falsely reporting an incident, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct. As part of his plea deal, he was also ordered to pay $289,511 in restitution. He originally faced up to four years in prison."

"Mascia, of West Hempstead, said he was shot in the leg last October while checking on a disabled vehicle along the Southern State Parkway. His claims prompted a manhunt for the vehicle and suspect that he described, but investigators discovered Mascia had actually shot himself. Prosecutors said he staged the whole thing -- dropping shell casings on the parkway, driving to Hempstead Lake Park where he shot himself, and then returning to report the shooting."

Thomas Mascia pleaded guilty to falsely reporting an incident, tampering with physical evidence, and official misconduct after staging a self-inflicted gunshot on Long Island. He claimed he was shot while checking on a disabled vehicle, prompting a manhunt, but investigators found he shot himself and had planted shell casings to support his story. As part of a plea deal, Mascia was sentenced to six months in jail, five years of probation, and ordered to pay $289,511 in restitution. Mascia's parents were charged after a search found an illegal assault-style gun and $80,000 in cash.

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