Arsenal Found In Home of Man Who Threatened Nyack School: Police

UPPER NYACK, NY — Police say they found an arsenal of weapons inside a Long Island man's home after he made threats on a voicemail system at his former school in Upper Nyack.

On Saturday, the Clarkstown Police Department in Rockland County received a report of a suspicious incident, possibly involving a threat toward a staff member, at the Summit School at 339 N. Broadway. The responding patrol officer interviewed a 45-year-old school employee who said that he received six messages on the school’s voicemail system from a former student. The caller, later identified as Robert Csak, 32, of Lindenhurst, left threatening messages at 5:40 a.m., police said.

Although the messages were accidentally erased, the staff member who had heard the messages told the officer that he was concerned for the safety of the students and staff and also questioned the well being of the caller.

The officer contacted the Suffolk County Police Department with the information and requested they conduct a welfare check on the caller.

Suffolk County Police said they found more than a dozen guns, nine of them illegal assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and ballistic equipment in Csak's home during a search prompted by the threatening message.

Csak, who attended the school in 2002, was identified as the caller through caller ID and school records.

“This is another example of schools identifying a potential problem and law enforcement agencies leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the safety of students and staff is paramount," Clarkstown Police Chief Raymond McCullagh said. "I want to thank Clarkstown Police Officer Tim Hodges and all of the men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department who worked on this case, bringing a successful conclusion to a potentially lethal incident."

When officers arrived at Csak’s home, located at 495A 38th St., Csak was not home and his landlord opened the apartment door. As officers entered to search for Csak, they observed a tactical shotgun, cross bow, night vision goggles, high-capacity magazines and an assault weapon. The location was secured and a search warrant was obtained. During the subsequent search, officers recovered 19 firearms, a silencer, more than 200 high-capacity magazines, a Tommy gun, night vision goggles, bulletproof vests, gas masks, knives and a bump stock (used to create an automatic weapon out of a semi-automatic weapon).

Csak was located in his vehicle by Third Precinct Gang Team officers Daniel Cardineau, Nicholas Marazzito and Alexander Otero at approximately 9 p.m. on Saturday on Millard Avenue at Route 109 in West Babylon.

Csak was charged with nine counts of third degree criminal possession of a weapon (assault weapon), six counts of third degree criminal possession of a weapon (large-capacity ammunition feeding device), third degree criminal possession of a weapon (silencer) and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Csak is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday at First District Court in Central Islip.