On Tuesday, a man from Long Island received a nine-year prison sentence for attempting to bomb a Nassau County social services facility after losing custody of his children, according to authorities.
James Luca, aged 47 and a resident of North Merrick, was initially facing terrorism charges. However, in June, he admitted to felony charges of first-degree weapons possession and obstructing government operations with an explosive device, as confirmed by a press release from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
“James Luca is a dangerous man whose irrational behavior caused panic at the Department of Social Services and instilled fear among public servants in our county,” stated District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “This individual should not be allowed to roam freely in our community.”
Prosecutors revealed that during his divorce proceedings, Luca engaged in several criminal acts, including placing a small explosive device in his ex-wife’s car in February 2023 and vandalizing the car again in January 2024, causing the windshield to shatter.
Following the revocation of his visitation rights, Luca, along with 26-year-old accomplice Jayson Reyes, drove to the Nassau County Department of Social Services on September 17, 2024, equipped with an improvised explosive device.
According to police, while Reyes served as a lookout, Luca positioned a 20-gallon propane tank at the entrance of the building and placed a torch on it. He then attempted to ignite the device by throwing lit flares at it. However, all his attempts failed, and the bomb did not detonate.
The building was eventually cleared, and no one was injured.
