Indian American Political Candidate From Texas Pleads Guilty to Creating Fake Online Accounts and Impersonation
- Taral Patel, who ran last year for Precinct 3 commissioner from Fort Bend County, also posted racist comments about himself to gain voter sympathy.
An Indian American political candidate from Texas pleaded guilty today to two misdemeanor charges for online impersonation. Taral Patel, 31, who ran for Precinct 3 commissioner from Fort Bend County, “created fake online accounts, impersonated officials, and posted racist comments about himself to gain voter sympathy during last year’s election,” The Houston Chronicle reported.
Patel pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, resulting in 24 months of probation. All his charges will be dismissed if he stays out of trouble during this period. He faced a third-degree felony charge for online impersonation and a Class A misdemeanor for misrepresentation of identity.
As part of his probation, Patel “must donate $2,000 to a youth program in Fort Bend County, complete 400 hours of community service, avoid contact with the victims and candidates involved in the case, issue a public apology, and write an apology letter to all victims,” KPRC2 reported.
Patel portrayed himself as someone he is not over the internet, “a violation of Texas Penal Code when done without proper consent and with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten any person,” KPRC 2 reported. From October 2022 and lasting through May of last year, Patel created online accounts under different personas to attack candidates, “including racial attacks on himself or claimed to work with them,” the KPRC2 report said.
Patel’s website describes him as “a dedicated advocate and longtime public servant” with “a track record of delivering on issues like affordable housing and jobs.” It further notes that his “experience in local, state, and federal government and the private sector has made our local community more effective, engaging, and efficient for everyone that calls Fort Bend home.”
The website also mentions Patel’s previous jobs. He has worked for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division in the Public Integrity Section, as deputy finance director for a governor, and as a legislative staff member for the Texas House of Representatives,” focusing on the Transportation and Government Accountability and Transparency Committees.” He is a graduate of public schools in Fort Bend County and of the University of Texas at Austin.
Interestingly, current Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George, who was Patel’s former boss, has also been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly faking his identity online, according to county jail records and the district attorney’s office. This latest development comes as the Democratic official already faces legal scrutiny for a separate case involving alleged fake racist attacks, Houston Public Media reported.
The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office stated that these new charges emerged from their ongoing investigation but are “unrelated to the pending misdemeanor” case against George. Court records indicate the money laundering charges are connected to alleged wire fraud and tampering with a campaign finance report, according to Houston Public Media.