Former New York state trooper pleads guilty to faking his own shooting

A erstwhile New York authorities trooper has pleaded blameworthy to charges that helium changeable himself past falsely claimed helium was wounded by an chartless gunman connected a Long Island highway

MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A erstwhile New York authorities trooper pleaded blameworthy Wednesday to charges that helium changeable himself past falsely claimed helium was wounded by an chartless gunman connected a Long Island highway, prompting a regionwide search.

Thomas Mascia agreed to service six months successful jail, followed by 5 months of probation and continued intelligence wellness attraction arsenic helium formally changed his not blameworthy plea during a tribunal quality successful Nassau County tribunal successful Mineola.

He besides agreed, arsenic portion of his plea deal, to wage $289,000 successful restitution for the overtime costs for officers during the three-day hunt for a nonexistent suspect. Mascia volition beryllium sentenced Aug. 20.

The West Hempstead nonmigratory had been charged with authoritative misconduct, tampering with grounds and falsifying documents. He became a trooper successful 2019 and resigned aft being suspended without pay portion authorities constabulary launched a criminal investigation into the shooting.

Mascia’s parents, Dorothy and Thomas, were besides expected to plead blameworthy Wednesday to firearms charges.

Mascia claimed helium was changeable successful the limb connected Oct. 30 by a operator parked connected the enarthrosis of the Southern State Parkway, astir a mile from his home.

The shooting prompted a monolithic hunt arsenic the trooper said the suspect, who helium claimed was a “dark-skinned” man, fled successful a car bearing impermanent New Jersey plates heading toward New York City.

Instead, prosecutors say, Mascia changeable himself successful a section park, stashed the gun, drove to the road and called for backup. They accidental the ruse was an evident bid to summation attraction and sympathy.

Jeffrey Lichtman, Mascia's lawyer, didn't instantly comment. He antecedently said the erstwhile trooper, who resigned successful January aft his arrest, has been suffering from “untreated intelligence wellness issues” for years.

Mascia had appeared successful tribunal earlier this period to alteration his plea, but the justice astatine the clip halted the proceedings aft the erstwhile trooper said helium did not consciousness good mentally and was receiving treatment.

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