Man linked to riot is in court on other charges

1/12/2006

Tom Szych, whose dispute with a black neighbor and at least one gang attracted the attention of neo-Nazis and led to a riot Oct. 15, appeared yesterday in Toledo Municipal Court, where he faced several felony and misdemeanor charges.

Mr. Szych, 35, 532 Bronson Ave. was charged with eight felony charges of forgery, three misdemeanor charges, including theft, falsification, and failure to secure a firearm, and a traffic citation of driving with a suspended license.

Judge C. Allen McConnell bound Mr. Szych over to the Lucas County grand jury for the felony charges and set court dates for the misdemeanor charges.

The charges stem from accusations that Mr. Szych avoiding paying $23 in sales tax on some personal items he bought recently by using a tax-exempt number that belongs to Leverette Junior High School.

He also is accused of using PTO money to pay for the items, police said.

Mr. Szych is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 17 for a traffic citation.

He will be arraigned in Toledo Municipal Court on Jan. 25 for the failure to secure a firearm charge, and will appear again in Municipal Court Feb. 22 for a pretrial on the theft and falsification charges.