The elected city treasurer of Beaumont tried to duck paying more than $150,000 in taxes on revenue from his motel, then used another person's identity for cover, prosecutors alleged today.
Anup Patel, 40, was charged with three counts of perjury and one count each of identity theft, false impersonation and forgery — all felonies.
He was free on a $30,000 bond and is slated to be arraigned Oct. 26 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, Patel submitted fraudulent transient occupancy tax statements in connection with a motel he operates in Beaumont, which wasn't named. The documents were filed with the city, prosecutors said.
“An investigation by the D.A.'s Public Integrity Unit revealed … he stated
that he received $0 in gross rent for occupancy of rooms from April 2020 through December 2023,” the DA's office said in a press release. “In January 2025, the city initiated an audit on all motels and hotels from January 2021 through December 2023. The audit showed Patel's motel collected $1.66 million in gross rent.
Patel, as owner of the motel, owed the city $166,730.07 in TOT, plus additional penalties for the time frame.”
The DA's office further alleged the defendant “stole another individual's identity and used it to create a fraudulent lease agreement and communicate with the city” about the TOT obligations.
The city web portal indicated that Patel, who was elected treasurer in 2022, remained at his post, serving out his four-year term. There was no immediate word on whether the city council was considering action based on the felony complaint.
As in some other cities, the role of Beaumont's treasurer consists of "limited oversight," according to the city website. Specifically, the treasurer signs accounts payable reports before they're approved by the city council, as well as making occasional reports to the council.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: City treasurer in Beaumont charged with $150,000 tax fraud
