Second investigation against candidate for Fort Bend County district commissioner: He allegedly posed as a district judge on Facebook

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – The challenger for Fort Bend County’s 3rd District Commissioner who was indicted last month for allegedly faking racist social media posts against himself is now being investigated again for a similar crime.

A new search warrant issued by investigators on Monday alleges that Taral Patel, 30, used a fake Facebook profile to pose as a district judge – the same judge who happened to be presiding over his first case.

Patel was first arrested on June 12 by the Texas Rangers on charges of internet identity fraud and one count of false identity information, a Class A misdemeanor under Texas election law.

According to arrest warrant documents, District 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers asked the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office (FBCDAO) in October to launch an investigation into the source of several social media posts targeting his opponent, Patel.

This happened after Patel posted a statement on his social media accounts with a collage of racist posts that he said were directed against him. The FBCDAO linked one of these accounts to Patel under the false name “Antonio Scalywag” after serving a subpoena on Facebook and Google.

RELATED: Fort Bend County candidate charged with allegedly faking racist attacks on himself on social media

Investigators noticed that the Scalywag account was friends on Facebook with Judge Surendran Pattel, who presides over Fort Bend County’s 240th District Court. The fake profile communicated with Pattel’s page, posting several “complimentary” comments and even having a conversation via private messages.

The conversation was friendly until Judge Pattel became upset about something Scalywag had posted publicly. According to the warrant, Scalywag’s messages to the judge went unanswered in November 2023.

When authorities confiscated Patel’s cellphone upon his arrest last month, they found that it contained a fake Facebook account for Judge Pattel. The fake profile has been online since at least December 2023 and is linked to one of Patel’s email addresses.

When investigators showed Judge Pattel the Facebook page, he explained that he did not create the profile himself nor did he authorize anyone else to create it on his behalf. He said his name and photograph were used without his consent.

Coincidentally, that is the same judge who heard Patel’s first case. According to court records, Patel has since been assigned to a different judge.

In a statement to ABC13, Judge Pattel wrote: “What is coming to light in the public record is alarming and disturbing.”

However, he declined to answer questions about whether he knew Patel or had contact with him.

A spokesperson for the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office said Patel could potentially face a second third-degree charge of internet identity fraud, depending on what the FBDAO finds in the content requested in the search warrant.

Patel’s next court date is scheduled for July 22. He did not respond to requests for comment.

Fort Bend County Democrats said Patel’s candidacy has not changed anything so far.

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