Findlay man charged in federal case to stay in jail

TOLEDO — A federal judge has ordered that Simon A. Tuck, 44, of Findlay, remain in custody after determining he poses an ongoing danger to multiple alleged victims and the wider community. Tuck was implicated in a federal case earlier this year and was arrested in late February on two counts of stalking, false information and hoaxes, and sending threatening communications. He pleaded not guilty to all four counts. He was indicted in early March. U.S. Magistrate Judge Darrell A. Clay presided. A no-contact order included in court records identifies seven adult victims and several juveniles. An FBI affidavit said Tuck targeted the victims from November 2025 to February 2026. FBI special agent Jordan Slavik testified, at a March hearing, that the bureau became involved after Tuck allegedly filed a false report with the FBI's National Threat Operations Center, claiming one of the victims was planning a mass casualty event at the Detroit Metro Airport. The Hancock County Sheriff's Office assisted in investigating the complaint. Tuck is also accused of having made other false reports to law enforcement, including to a sexual violence hotline, claiming the victim was physically harming their significant other, and to the victim's place of employment, claiming the victim was selling narcotics while at work and was sexually harassing coworkers. Slavik also said that later complaints to the victim's employer, alleged to have come from Tuck, claimed professional malpractice. Other false reports were made to a victim's child's school that the victim was abusing the child. In early February, one victim received emails from a funeral home and church, allegedly sent by Tuck while impersonating the victim, requesting information about funeral arrangements and suggesting the victim intended to die by suicide. Tuck is also alleged to have made direct death threats to a victim, claiming to come from a Russian hacking group. Slavik testified that one victim received about 50 threatening emails, purportedly from the group, which investigators believe Tuck fabricated. Tuck is also accused of repeatedly filing false emergency reports intended to trigger armed law-enforcement responses to victims' homes, a practice that is commonly known as swatting. An FBI affidavit states these actions risked causing "physical, emotional or reputational harm," and potentially death due to escalating police response. False reports, alleged to have been written by Tuck, were also made using a blogging website and were said to be written as a victim's confession of wrongdoing. A search warrant executed at Tuck's residence just before Christmas uncovered screenshots of threats and more than 200 pornographic images of one victim, allegedly generated using Grok, an artificial intelligence tool created by XAI. A second search warrant was executed on Feb. 20 after investigators discovered Tuck had replaced his electronic devices. Slavik testified that telecommunications threats "sharply increased" between the December search and Tuck's February arrest, after Tuck had been made aware he was a subject of interest in the investigation. At a March hearing, defense attorney Neil McElroy, of the Law Office of Neil McElroy, of Toledo, proposed releasing Tuck to his wife, who would act as third-party custodian. The defense suggested house arrest, GPS monitoring and tightly restricted access to electronic devices. Judge Clay rejected the proposal, writing in the detention order that he had "serious concerns" about the danger Tuck posed to the victims, their families, and the wider community if released. The order also said he lacked confidence that Tuck's wife could adequately monitor his internet usage. The order indicates the judge considered Tuck's release on four factors, including the fact that some of the offenses are considered violent crimes, the weight of the evidence, Tuck's history and characteristics, and the safety of the community. Tuck remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings. A criminal trial has not yet been scheduled.