Fort Bend County Commissioner candidate Taral Patel faces multiple search warrants over allegations of online impersonation and fraudulent activities to attack his opponent and fabricate racial threats.
HOUSTON–Fort Bend County investigators have executed 13 search warrants in connection with Taral Patel, a candidate for Fort Bend County Commissioner – Precinct 3, in a developing story.
This investigation is a result of Patel's arrest in June on charges of online misrepresentation and identity misrepresentation. The charges arise from allegations that he created fake social media accounts to attack his political opponent, Andy Meyers, and to fabricate racial attacks against himself.
According to reports, Patel's purported activities started in October 2022 and persisted until May 2024.
Evett Kelly, the lead investigator, discovered that Patel may have employed these fabricated accounts to elicit sympathy from voters, thereby bolstering his campaign.
The search warrants involve examining multiple computers and a flash drive as well as Patel's Google phone, which is suspected to contain critical evidence connecting him to a variety of fraudulent online personas.
One of the accounts associated with Patel impersonates Fort Bend County District Judge Surendran Pattel.
Investigators discovered a Facebook account under this identity on Patel's phone, which was linked to an email address associated with him. The judge has since affirmed that he did not authorize the creation of this account and has recused himself from Patel's ongoing legal proceedings due to the conflict of interest.
Additionally, additional investigation has disclosed that Patel may have impersonated other individuals, such as a couple whose photographs were utilized in a fraudulent account called "Antonio Scalywag."
The use of this account to post derogatory comments about his opponent allegedly bolstered allegations that Patel was attempting to manipulate public perception during his campaign.
The investigation was initially initiated by a request from Commissioner Andy Meyers, who identified the existence of posts that were racially charged and directed at Patel.
The Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office initiated a comprehensive investigation into the matter following Patel's arrest, which has since expanded to encompass numerous impersonation offenses.
Patel has refrained from commenting on the allegations and continues to advocate for the commissioner position despite the severe nature of the allegations and calls from various political figures, including fellow Democrats, to withdraw from the race.
The current situation has prompted substantial apprehensions regarding the integrity of the electoral process in Fort Bend County, with local officials accentuating the necessity of candidate accountability.
As the investigation continues, the implications for Patel's campaign and the broader political landscape in the region are yet to be determined.
