Ex-NYS trooper Thomas Mascia admits to purposely shooting himself on a parkway, pleads guilty to multiple charges

An ex-Long Island-based state trooper admitted in court Wednesday that he shot himself in the leg and then lied to authorities when he falsely claimed he had been shot in the line of duty by a "dark-skinned" masked assailant on the Southern State Parkway last year.

Thomas J. Mascia, 27, of West Hempstead, who resigned from the force in January, pleaded guilty in Nassau County Court to a three-count information in connection with the Oct. 30 shooting that resulted in a multistate search for a suspect that did not exist.

Mascia, who had been a trooper since 2019, was charged with filing a false report, official misconduct and tampering with evidence after police said he shot himself and then lied about it.

Mascia admitted his conduct in open court, agreeing to a series of facts laid out by prosecutor Jared Rosenblatt, the Homicide Bureau chief, including that Mascia shot himself in Hempstead Lake Park and then dumped the gun, a .22 caliber rifle, at his home and returned to the Southern State where he reported that a masked man had shot him.

Mascia admitted that he had planned the shooting, including researching where in the leg to shoot himself, before committing the act, prosecutors said.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Robert G. Bogle accepted Mascia's guilty plea and set sentencing for Aug. 20. Bogle also signed an order of protection barring him from any contact with an individual whose identity was kept confidential in open court.

"It was a good plea offer and he was guilty and wanted to accept responsibility for his actions as he did from the moment I met him," said Mascia's attorney Jeffrey Lichtman after court. "He's obviously got deep remorse and regret [for] what he did. But this is obviously the result of mental health issues."

Lichtman said he rejected any notion that his client was "racist" for attempting to pin the shooting on what Mascia had described to authorities as "a Black or dark-skinned Hispanic male."

Nassau District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said Mascia’s ex-girlfriend, a nurse, was the subject of the protection order and may have been the motive for Mascia’s actions, although Mascia didn't provide authorities with a reason.

"Apparently she’s a nurse and he wanted to get maybe some sympathy from her and some attention from her," Donnelly said.

As part of the plea deal, the former trooper agreed to accept a 6-month jail sentence, 5 years of probation and mental health treatment. Mascia also agreed to pay the New York State Police $289,511.32 for the three days of overtime doled out during the manhunt.

Mascia's father Thomas A. Mascia pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of criminal possession of a firearm in connection with a gun that was found by authorities at the foot of the bed in the bedroom of the ex-trooper's parents.

Mascia's father, a convicted felon and former NYPD officer who was fired from the force in 1993 for selling cocaine, is expected to be sentenced to 5 years' probation as part of his plea deal.

His mother, Dorothy Mascia, also pleaded guilty Wednesday to fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. She is expected to receive a conditional discharge.

Neither Mascia nor his parents answered reporters' questions as they left court.

Mascia had been suspended without pay since November when state police announced they had stopped searching for the alleged shooter's vehicle.

Earlier this month, Mascia's plea hearing was derailed after he told the judge he did not feel well mentally. Asked why she thought Mascia backed out, Donnelly said: "He was playing games."

Mascia was shot in his right leg, near his knee, on Oct. 30 at about 11:42 p.m. while on patrol after he said he approached a black Dodge Charger that he thought was stranded on the parkway near Exit 17 in West Hempstead, authorities said.

Mascia told police that the alleged suspect was a "dark-skinned" male, wearing a balaclava mask that only showed his eyes and driving what was believed to be a black, late model Dodge Charger with temporary New Jersey tags, rear tinted windows and custom matte gray dual-exhaust tips.

Mascia applied a tourniquet to his injured leg and called for assistance, police have said.

"Shots fired, shots fired, I’m hit," the trooper said, in dramatic police radio transmissions that Newsday reviewed on Broadcastify.com. "I’m bleeding pretty good in the leg," he said. "Got a tourniquet on."

Mascia spent about a day at Nassau University Medical Center. State troopers and Nassau County police officers gathered outside the hospital in a show of support when he was released.

Donnelly also previously said police found "close to $800,000" in cash inside the home that she said was "linked" to the trooper's parents. On Wednesday, she said the cash has been investigated and it was "legally" held by the parents.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.