Fort Bend County Commissioner Candidate Facing Felony and Misdemeanor Charges. Election Lawyer Michael Wynne Speaks with Channel 13.

Democratic candidate for Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner, Tarel Patel, is facing charges for allegedly creating a social media account to post fake racist comments directed at himself. Fort Bend County’s Republican incumbent Andy Myers requested an investigation last year, after Patel issued a statement on his social media accounts with a collage of racist posts, he claimed were directed at him.

When asked by Channel 13 news about the charges facing Patel, election law attorney Michael Wynne stated, “It must be very, very serious. The facts must be alarming for the district attorney’s office to file a charge like this which tends to besmirch a candidate so close to an election.”

Investigators identified a fake account which was using a photo belonging to someone else. The DA’s office subpoenaed Facebook and Google, allowing them to obtain account data indicating the account belonged to Patel.

On Wednesday, the Texas Rangers arrested Patel and he was placed in Fort Bend County Jail. A representative for the District Attorney’s office said this is the first time they have charged someone with this election-related offense.

Patel bonded out Thursday morning and his next court appearance is scheduled for July 22nd.