Overview
- Thomas J. Mascia pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting an incident, and official misconduct in a Nassau County case.
- A judge imposed six months in jail, five years of probation, mandated mental‑health treatment, and about $289,511 in restitution to law‑enforcement agencies.
- Prosecutors said Mascia shot himself at Hempstead Lake State Park, planted .22‑caliber shell casings on the Southern State Parkway, and hid the rifle at his home, where investigators later recovered it.
- Officials said the hoax consumed hundreds of hours of police work and eroded public trust after a regionwide search for a nonexistent gunman.
- Mascia’s father received five years’ probation and his mother a conditional discharge on weapons charges stemming from a gun found during a home search, while his attorney cited long‑untreated mental‑health issues.