Arcola Mayor Fred Anthony Burton was arrested and booked into the Fort Bend County Jail on five felony charges after a grand jury indictment, according to online jail records.
Burton, 68, faces two counts of illegal voting, one count of misuse of official information, one count of tampering with a government record, and one count of fraudulently securing the execution of a document.
The illegal voting charges are tied to two separate Arcola elections, the municipal runoff held June 7, 2025, and the city’s general, joint, and special election held April 23, 2026. The indictments allege Burton helped, encouraged, or failed to prevent three people from voting when he knew they were not eligible to do so.
The remaining three charges stem from Burton’s earlier time in office in 2023. The misuse of official information charge accuses Burton of using non-public information he obtained as mayor, alleging he disclosed details about a competitive bid for a city contract to another person for a non-governmental purpose.
The tampering with a government record charge accuses him of knowingly presenting or using a false estimate connected to the Arcola Food Court Project. The fraudulently securing execution of a document charge alleges Burton caused two Arcola City Council members to sign or execute documents affecting the city’s financial interests without their effective consent.
The two illegal voting counts are second-degree felonies carrying possible sentences of two to 20 years in prison. The misuse of official information charge and the fraud charge are third-degree felonies carrying potential sentences of two to 10 years. The tampering with a government record charge is a state jail felony carrying 180 days to two years in a state jail facility.
Charann Thompson, chief of the Public Integrity Division with the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, said her office investigated the complaints against Burton with the assistance of the Texas Rangers.
“Someone filed complaints that were supported by credible evidence, and we investigated those complaints with the assistance of the Texas Rangers,” Thompson said. She noted the case is still in its early stages. “It is the very beginning stage,” she said. “A conviction only happens once the case is resolved, whether that’s by a trial or whether that is by an agreement.”
Burton appeared before a magistrate judge Wednesday, where bond was set on each charge.
Thompson’s Public Integrity Division has been active in other Fort Bend County corruption cases in recent months. Her office also prosecuted former Fort Bend County Judge KP George, who was convicted in March on two counts of felony money laundering tied to his first campaign account and later sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation.
Burton has held the Arcola mayor’s office off and on since 2018, winning reelection in 2020 and 2022 before losing to Veeda Williams in 2024. He defeated Williams by 22 votes in the May 2026 election to reclaim the seat. His daughter currently serves on the Arcola City Council.
It was not immediately clear when Burton will next appear in court.
