Ex-NY Trooper’s Hoax Shooting Exposes Dangerous Breach of Public Trust

In a troubling breach of accountability, Thomas Mascia, a former New York state trooper, was sentenced Wednesday to six months in jail and five years probation after pleading guilty to fabricating his own shooting. Instead of protecting citizens, Mascia staged an elaborate hoax on a Long Island highway that wasted hundreds of hours of law enforcement manpower and cost taxpayers nearly $290,000. Mascia's actions did more than just deceive officers—they undermined the very foundation of trust that American communities must have in their law enforcement agencies. When those sworn to defend our safety turn inward and exploit public resources for...