Taral Patel, a 30-year-old Democratic candidate for Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner, was arrested and charged with felony online impersonation and misrepresentation of identity.
Patel, who had been vying for a significant political role, was caught in his own web of lies after meticulous investigations by local authorities unraveled his scheme.
The investigations revealed that Patel had created fake social media accounts to disseminate derogatory and racist remarks, falsely attributing them to his opponent’s supporters. This deceit was not only intended to discredit his Republican adversary but also to manipulate public opinion by playing the victim card.
Patel, who faces a potential sentence of two to 10 years in prison, was apprehended by the Texas Rangers during a roadside stop on Wednesday, June 12, Covering Katy reported.
According to the arrest warrant, Patel is charged with two counts of Felony Online Impersonation and one Class A misdemeanor charge of Misrepresentation of Identity, a violation of the Texas Election Code.
The warrant suggests that Patel’s deceptive actions targeted both his Democratic primary opponent, Abrahim Javed, and his general election opponent, Republican Andy Meyers.
Patel’s deceptive tactics began in October 2022 when he allegedly used the identity of a man from Needville named Patrick Ernst to create a Facebook page under the pseudonym Antonio Scalywag.
The Scalywag account claimed allegiance to Donald Trump and frequently posted positive comments about top elected Republican officials but consistently expressed dislike for one particular Republican, Andy Meyers.
As the election season intensified, Scalywag began posting support for Meyers coupled with derogatory and racist comments, creating a false impression that Meyers’ support base was primarily racist.
“I am against false gods and their worshippers (sic) winning office in a Christian nation. I am with Meyers ALL THE WAY because he serves Jesus, unlike Patel and his followers who worship Monkey and Elephant,” one Scalywag post said.
Here are some of Patel’s racist comments:
Patrick Ernst was brought in for questioning at the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office after suspicions arose regarding his involvement. Affiant, the investigating officer, met with Ernst on February 2, 2024, and confirmed his identity through official databases and documents.
During the interview, Ernst admitted to being the person depicted in a photo used on the Facebook account of Antonio Scalywag. He explained that the photo, featuring himself and his wife, was originally posted on his wife’s business website.
Ernst further disclosed that he had been alerted to the impersonation by a concerned individual named Bassam Syed. Affiant also presented Ernst with Facebook posts attributed to Antonio Scalywag, which Ernst denied writing.
The District Attorney’s office spent months working on this case, issuing subpoenas to Facebook and Google. The data obtained from these subpoenas matched Patel’s address, phone number, Texas driver’s license number, bank card number, and other personal information.
“Affiant has reason to believe and does believe that: beginning on or about October 20, 2022, and continuing through May 4, 2024, before the making and filing of this complaint, in the County of Fort Bend, in the State of Texas, TARAL VIPUL PATEL, an Asian/Pacific Islander/Non-Hispanic male… did then and there, commit the offense of Online Impersonation, a third degree felony, to wit: Taral Vipul Patel, without obtaining Patrick Ernst’s consent and with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate or threaten any person, did then and there use the persona of Patrick Ernst to create a web page using the name “Antonio Scalywag” on a commercial social networking site, namely Facebook; and/or post or send one or more messages using the name “Antonio Scalywag” on or through a commercial social networking site, namely Facebook,” the arrest warrant reads.
Patel is currently held with a bond set at $20,000 for the felony charge and an additional $2,500 for the misdemeanor. Should he fail to post bond, he is scheduled to appear before a magistrate on Thursday morning, Fox News reported.
