MINEOLA, N.Y. – A North Merrick man, James Luca, 47, pleaded guilty today to a chilling plot to bomb the Nassau County Department of Social Services (NCDSS) last September, fueled by a personal custody battle. The failed attempt, which involved a homemade device left at the building’s entrance, underscored a pattern of escalating criminal behavior, authorities say.
According to Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly, Luca pleaded guilty before Judge Terence Murphy to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree (a B violent felony) and Obstructing of Governmental Duties by Means of a Bomb, Destructive Device, Explosive, or Hazardous Substance (a D felony). This satisfies the indictment charging him with the attempted bombing. But the charges didn’t stop there.
Luca also confessed to a raft of additional offenses, including another count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree, two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree (an E felony), Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Second Degree (a C felony), Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Third Degree (a D felony), two counts of Forgery in the Second Degree (a D felony), two counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (a D felony), four counts of Identity Theft in the First Degree (a D felony), and four counts of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (an E felony). The breadth of the criminal enterprise paints a picture of a man spiraling out of control.
The September 17, 2024 incident unfolded just after 1:42 a.m. when Luca left his North Merrick home. He met a co-defendant on Warren Street, and together they drove to the NCDSS building at 60 Charles Lindberg Boulevard. While his accomplice acted as a lookout, Luca positioned a 20-pound propane tank and a 1-pound camping propane tank at the building’s doors, topped with a torch. Surveillance footage captured Luca attempting to ignite the device with lit flares, but the bomb failed to detonate.
The pair abandoned their vehicle on Warren Street, switching to a second car left nearby, and returned to Luca’s residence. The device was discovered later that morning by the NCDSS Director of Investigation. “This defendant is dangerous and unpredictable,” stated DA Donnelly. “He instigated fear and terror and attempted to sow that same terror when he targeted dedicated public servants.”
Luca is expected to receive a nine-year prison sentence, followed by five years of post-release supervision, when he returns to court on July 8, 2025. Donnelly emphasized that Luca “has offended and re-offended without a passing consideration for the consequences.” The U.S. Secret Service’s New York Field Office Digital Evidence Forensic Lab assisted in the investigation, providing crucial technical support, according to Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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