A New York state trooper who claimed to be shot in the line of duty in October is now facing criminal charges for allegedly “staged” the shooting, according to officials.
A representative for the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office told ABC News that Thomas Mascia, 27, surrendered to authorities on Monday morning. He is accused of governmental misconduct, false reporting a crime, and tampering with evidence.
In a press conference Monday, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Mascia may face one to three years in jail for the “unconscionable” fraud.
“He knew the fear that it would create — and he did it anyway,” claims Donnelly.
Dorothy and Thomas, Mascia’s parents, also turned themselves in to police on Monday on allegations of criminal possession of a firearm, according to the district attorney’s office. The firearm was not the same as the one used in the shooting, but Mascia’s father is a convicted felon, which makes owning a gun unlawful, according to Donnelly.
The New York Times reports that Mascia’s father, a former New York Police Department officer, was fired in 1993 after being accused of leading a cocaine ring.
Police linked the gun used in the incident to one owned by Mascia, police said. Officials say it wasn’t his military firearm. According to Donnelly, “close to $800,000” was found at the family’s house.
All three were freed on their own recognizance Monday.
Mascia was on duty in Hempstead on October 30th when he “initiated a radio transmission for shots fired,” according to a felony complaint obtained by ABC News.
Later, the victim “claimed he was shot by the driver of a black Dodger Charger described as either a Black or dark-skinned Hispanic male.”
According to the complaint, Mascia “staged the scene of the shooting,” by laying shot casings on the ground hours before.
He then allegedly “shot himself in the leg in another location before returning to the staged location” along the Southern State Parkway.
State police temporarily closed the portion of the parkway where Mascia said the incident occurred “in an effort to locate the non-existent shooters, causing alarm and inconvenience to the public,” according to the complaint.
The accusation charges Mascia of fabricating the incident “for the benefit of gaining attention or sympathy for himself.”
An attorney for Mascia did not immediately return a request for comment.
His next court appearance is scheduled for February 5.
