A former New York state trooper who faked his own shooting during a Long Island traffic stop will serve just six months in jail, avoiding a potential multi-year prison sentence.
Thomas Mascia, 27, confessed to orchestrating a bogus ambush on October 30, 2024. He scattered shell casings on the Southern State Parkway in West Hempstead, then shot himself in the leg with a .22-caliber rifle before calling in backup, claiming a mysterious gunman had hit him. Mascia even described the “suspect” in chilling detail, a “dark-skinned man” in a balaclava who fled toward New York City in a car with temporary New Jersey plates.
The lie launched a frantic three-day manhunt that stretched across the tri-state area, wasting hundreds of hours of police time and putting Black and brown men in the region at serious risk. “Disturbing is putting it mildly,” one Redditor said. “He used the familiar ‘dark-skinned man’ trope to shift blame and risked the lives of anyone fitting the description.”
Six Months for a Fake Shooting, Five Years of Probation
As reported by Courthousenews, Mascia’s plea deal, finalized in Nassau County court this week, spares him the potential of a three-year prison sentence. Instead, he’ll serve six months in jail beginning August 20, pay $289,000 in restitution for the manhunt he triggered, and undergo mandatory mental health treatment as part of five years’ probation. His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, said Mascia was suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness at the time of the incident and is now receiving care.
Prosecutors confirmed Mascia’s motive appeared to be “a sympathy grab,” possibly intended to win over an ex-girlfriend. Reddit’s verdict? “He had to shoot his shot,” one user quipped.
The case has reverberated beyond just one rogue officer’s bad judgment. Mascia’s lie could have cost lives. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly didn’t mince words: “If someone had been stopped that fit the description? Who knows what would have happened? It’s just a frightening thought.”
Critics online echoed that concern. “The cops would be far more trigger-happy if they thought another cop had been shot,” one Reddit comment read. “That part’s on them… maybe they shouldn’t do that.”
Then there’s Mascia’s family history, which adds another layer to this bizarre saga. His father, Thomas Mascia Sr., once partnered with infamous NYPD narcotics officer Michael Dowd, a central figure in one of the department’s largest-ever corruption scandals. Both Mascia’s parents recently pleaded guilty to unrelated firearms charges stemming from a search of their West Hempstead home.
Public Trust Erodes Again
Mascia’s actions dealt another blow to public confidence in law enforcement. “His false report not only endangered the safety of responding officers and the public,” said State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, “but also undermined the credibility of every trooper who serves with honor and integrity.”
But for many, that credibility was already in question. “The type of people that would do this manipulative shit tend to also be the kind of people to become cops,” one user commented, echoing a common thread of mistrust running through online discussions.
Mascia has already earned his online nickname: “Justice Smollett,” a jab comparing his stunt to actor Jussie Smollett’s infamous hate crime hoax. Others likened him to corrupt cop characters from TV dramas. That, or simply called him what they see him as: a liar who weaponized his badge, his race, and the public’s emotions for personal gain.
One final gut punch? When Mascia made his false claim, authorities offered a $5,000 reward for tips. “Does he still get the $5K for being the coward?” one user joked.
In the end, it’s a familiar story of power abused, trust broken, and consequences that don’t quite match the damage done. For many in New York and beyond, six months feels like a laughably light sentence for a crime that put entire communities at risk.
