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Taral Patel pleads guilty in fake racist attack scheme
The plea stems from a scheme during Patel’s 2024 campaign in which he created fake social media accounts post xenophobic comments targeting himself.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 16, Apr 2025
- 14:05 EDT
- 257
Taral Patel / Facebook
Former Fort Bend County commissioner candidate Taral Patel pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of misrepresentation of identity by a candidate.
The plea, entered in court on April 15, stems from a scheme during Patel’s 2024 campaign in which he created fake social media accounts using real individuals' photos to post xenophobic comments targeting himself. Prosecutors said the posts were intended to generate sympathy and influence voters.
Patel, a Democrat and former chief of staff to Fort Bend County Judge KP George, admitted in court documents that he committed one of the offenses in coordination with George, according to the Houston Public Media.
Following the hearing, Patel in a letter shared with Houston Public Media wrote, “I’m deeply remorseful. Because of this, my family and I have lost a lot — personally, professionally and emotionally… But I know my pain pales compared to the disappointment felt by those who believed in me.”
The judge has been separately charged with a similar offense and is also facing two felony counts of money laundering. George has denied the allegations, calling the prosecution politically motivated.
The plea deal brings to a close a legal case that began in 2024, when Patel was indicted on four felony counts of online impersonation. Under the agreement, Patel was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication probation, avoiding jail time. The remaining misdemeanor charges were dismissed.
According to prosecutors, the scheme dates back to 2022 and involved posting racist and xenophobic comments through fake profiles to make it appear that Patel and George were victims of racially motivated attacks.
One of the individuals impersonated was Republican Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, whom Patel unsuccessfully challenged in last year’s election. Patel was also accused of impersonating District Judge Surendran Pattel.
As part of his sentence, Patel must complete community service, write letters of apology to the public and his victims, and avoid contact with Meyers and Pattel. He also entered a pre-trial intervention program for the felony charges, which requires him to perform 400 hours of community service and donate $2,000 to the Fort Bend Partnership for Youth. The felony charges will be dismissed if he successfully completes the program.
The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office has indicated that the investigation remains ongoing.
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