North Merrick Man Indicted for Attempting to Blow Up Department of Social Services Building
A North Merrick man has been indicted for terrorism and other charges for allegedly plotting to attack the Nassau County Department of Social Services building in September and for attempting to ignite a homemade bomb he placed at the building’s doors. This marks the first time that the Nassau DA’s office is trying a terrorism case.
On September 17 at approximately 1:42 a.m., James Luca and a co-defendant allegedly left Luca’s home on Van Nostrand Avenue in two separate vehicles. Approximately 10 minutes later, Luca and his co-defendant met up on Warren Street and both got into a single car. They drove to 60 Charles Lindberg Boulevard where the Nassau County Department of Social Services is located. While his co-defendant acted as a lookout, Luca allegedly placed one 20-pound propane tank and another one-pound camping propane tank at the doors of the building with a torch on top of the tanks.
Surveillance video recovered from the scene shows Luca allegedly attempting to throw lit flares at the homemade device in an attempt to ignite it. However, the device does not ignite. Luca and his co-defendant then left and drove back to East Meadow.
They abandoned the car they drove on Warren Street and entered the other car that was left on the street earlier that morning. The pair then drove back to Luca’s house.
The device was discovered later that morning by the Department of Social Services’ Director of Investigations, who immediately alerted police.
The Nassau County Police Department’s Arson and Bomb Squad, the Uniondale Fire Department, and the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene, evacuated the building, and secured the homemade bomb. As police continued to investigate the incident, they discovered another 20-pound propane tank a short distance from the scene and the abandoned vehicle in East Meadow with additional road flares located inside of the car.
Luca and his co-defendant were arrested on October 3 by detectives of the Nassau County Police Department. On November 13, Luca was arraigned before Judge Terence Murphy on charges of Crime of Terrorism (a Class A-I felony); Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree (a Class B violent felony); Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a Class D violent felony); Obstructing of Governmental Duties by Means of a Bomb, Destructive Device, Explosive, or Hazardous Substance (a Class D felony); Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree (a Class E felony); and Attempt to Commit the Crime of Arson in the Third Degree (a Class D felony).
Luca pleaded not guilty and was remanded. He is due back in court on December 19. If convicted, Luca faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
“James Luca, aggrieved and blaming Nassau County Child Protective Services for revoking his visitation rights with his children, allegedly hatched a terroristic revenge plot to bomb the Department of Social Services building in Uniondale using an improvised homemade device made of propane tanks and road flares,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “This is the first time that my office has pursued the gravely serious charge of terrorism against a defendant. James Luca’s alleged actions, his plotting, and his attempts to ignite an explosion at a government building where dozens of public servants work to serve our county every day, justifies this significant upgrade in charges. Luca now faces the potential of life in prison for his radical violence. Together with the Nassau County Police Department we will protect the workers and residents of Nassau County from any threats, whether they are foreign or born right here in our backyard.”
“This dangerous individual put hundreds of lives in danger by placing these deadly devices at a building designed to provide vital services for the residents of Nassau County,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “I want to commend the excellent work done by our Arson Bomb Squad detectives for bringing this case to a successful conclusion and thank our partners in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for their continued commitment to aggressively prosecuting those who put public safety in jeopardy.”