ARCOLA, Texas – Arcola Mayor Fred Burton has been arrested and booked into the Fort Bend County jail on five felony charges, according to online records.
Burton, 68, is facing multiple charges, including two counts of illegal voting, misuse of official information, tampering with government records, and fraudulent securing of document execution, records show.
According to the indictments, Burton allegedly assisted non-eligible voters with voting in the municipal runoff election last June.
He’s also accused of bid rigging connected to two different city contracts, tampering with records related to the Arcola Food Court Project, and allegedly convincing council members to award a contract based on fraudulent information, records show.
The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Burton’s arrest.
“Someone filed complaints that were supported by credible evidence, and we investigated those complaints with the assistance of the Texas Rangers,” Charann Thompson, chief of the Public Integrity Division with the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, said.
A receptionist at the City of Arcola acted surprised to learn of Burton’s arrest over the phone Wednesday morning. KPRC 2 News requested a statement from the city about the mayor’s arrest.
| Offense | Classification | Bond Amount ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Illegal Voting | F2 | 25,000 |
| Illegal Voting | F2 | 25,000 |
| Misuse of Official Information | F3 | 20,000 |
| Fraud-Securing Document by Deception | F3 | 20,000 |
| Tampering with a Government Record | FS | 15,000 |
F2 = second degree felony, 2-20 years in prison
F3 = third degree felony, 2-10 years in prison
FS = state jail felony, 180 days - 2 years state jail facility
According to the DA’s office, Burton will face a magistrate judge Wednesday morning when bonds will be set for each charge.
“It is the very beginning stage,” Thompson said. “A conviction only happens once the case is resolved, whether that’s by a trial or whether that is by an agreement.”
Residents react
The allegations came as a surprise to some people in Arcola.
Sherian Scott was at a city facility dropping off her granddaughter for a summer camp hosted by the city when she learned about the indictments.
Scott, who says she spends time in Arcola with her family, said she wants transparency from city leaders.
“I want honesty. I want everything to be confirmed. I want investigation for my grandkids who come over here,” Scott said.
Scott said she believes city leaders should work to rebuild trust with residents.
“The leaders should get together and they should get a committee together and form some kind of rules and regulations and get everything started over,” she said.
The DA’s Office Public Integrity Unit led the investigation with assistance from the Texas Rangers.