Arcola Mayor Fred Anthony Burton was taken into custody Wednesday and booked on five felony charges, according to local jail logs and grand jury indictments. Prosecutors say the case centers on alleged illegal voting and document tampering tied to recent city elections.
Felony counts detailed in county records
Fort Bend County jail records list Burton as facing two counts of illegal voting, one count of misuse of official information, one count of fraudulent securing of document execution and one count of tampering with a government record (defraud/harm), according to FOX 26 Houston. The outlet reports that a grand jury returned the indictment and that Burton was then booked into the county detention center.
Elections at the center of the case
According to the charging information, the illegal voting counts are tied to two specific Arcola elections: the municipal runoff held June 7, 2025, and the City of Arcola general, joint and special election on April 23, 2026. Those dates line up with the city’s posted election calendar, and City of Arcola records list the contests and outcomes for those ballots.
Grand jury says mayor aided ineligible voters
Grand jury indictments cited by FOX 26 Houston allege Burton helped, encouraged or failed to stop three people from voting even though he allegedly knew they were not eligible. The documents described in the station’s reporting do not name the voters or spell out the specific actions Burton is accused of taking.
Political tension and prior controversies
Burton has been a lightning rod in Arcola politics for years. He drew national headlines in 2024 after a threatening package containing a noose was delivered to city hall, according to the Houston Chronicle. ABC13 also reported on a heated parking lot confrontation last year between Burton and the sitting mayor that prompted an internal review by local police.
What happens next in court
It was not immediately clear when Burton will appear in court for arraignment. Fort Bend County explains that grand juries review potential felony cases and issue indictments that formally launch prosecutions. Under Texas law, certain felony convictions can trigger removal or other penalties for public officials, according to statutory provisions outlined in legislative texts such as those published by the Texas Legislature.
