Indian-origin Texas District Judge KP George, who was earlier suspended, has now been sentenced to prison and probation.
An Indian-origin Texas county judge, an elected position, who was convicted of money laundering and suspended from office, has now been sentenced to 180 days in prison and placed on probation for five years.
Judge Maggie Perez Jaramillo of the 458th District Court sentenced suspended Fort Bend County Judge KP George to a maximum of 10 years in prison for his third-degree felony conviction, but she carried out the sentence, ordering six months in the Fort Bend County Jail followed by five years of community supervision.Other conditions for George’s test include:
- Complete 200 hours of community service
- Complete the anti-theft course
- Do not maintain any active accounts on social media
- Not holding any position in any fiduciary capacity
- Pay a $5,000 fine and court fees
- Blocking contact with former chief of staff Taral Patel, who last year pleaded guilty to two counts of misrepresenting identity by a political candidate
What did the Kerala-born judge do?
In 2018, George misfiled his campaign finance reports, transferred more than $46,000 in campaign funds to his personal account and used the funds for personal expenses, including making a down payment on a home and paying his property taxes.George was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, both times as a Democrat. After being indicted on criminal charges, he became a Republican but failed to receive the Republican nomination for the position.George also faces a misdemeanor charge of misrepresentation for allegedly making fake racist attacks against his campaign. A trial in this case is scheduled for July. When he ran for re-election in 2022, a Facebook user named “Antonia Scallywag” posted to attack his own campaign.
KP George was born in Kerala, then came to the United States and worked as a financial planner. He then became an American citizen. He served on the Fort Bend Independent School District board before being elected Fort Bend County judge in 2018. He was the first person of South Asian descent to hold the position.