MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he shot himself then falsely claimed he was wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway, prompting a regionwide search.

Thomas Mascia agreed to serve six months in jail, followed by five years probation and continued mental health treatment as he formally changed his not guilty plea during a court appearance in Nassau County court in Mineola.

He also agreed, as part of his plea deal, to pay $289,000 in restitution for the overtime costs for officers during the three-day search for a nonexistent suspect.

The 27-year-old West Hempstead resident had been charged with official misconduct, tampering with evidence and falsifying documents. He became a trooper in 2019 and resigned in Janua

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