False Shooting Report Leads to Arrests of Former NYS Trooper and Parents

PHOTO: James Carbone/ Newsday

---

West Hempstead, NY – January 28, 2025 – New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced the arrest of former New York State Trooper Thomas J. Mascia, 27, of West Hempstead, following an investigation that revealed a fabricated shooting report.

Mascia has been charged with tampering with physical evidence (a class E felony), falsely reporting an incident, and official misconduct (both class A misdemeanors). He has since resigned from the State Police.

The investigation also led to the arrest of his parents, Thomas Mascia Sr., 62, and Dorothy Mascia, 55, on charges of criminal possession of a firearm (a class E felony).

The incident occurred on October 30, 2024, at approximately 11:45 p.m., when Mascia reported being shot in the leg while checking on a disabled vehicle in the median of the westbound Southern State Parkway near Exit 17. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his right leg, prompting a large-scale search for the alleged vehicle described in his report.

However, a joint investigation by the Troop L Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office revealed that Mascia had shot himself and fabricated the story. Investigators found no evidence to support his claim of encountering a disabled vehicle.

Further investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at the Mascia family residence, where authorities discovered a firearm that was illegally possessed.

The Mascia family members were arraigned in district court in Hempstead and subsequently released. All three are scheduled to appear in court again on February 5, 2025, at 9 a.m.