A disturbing case is developing in Texas after a U.S. Navy veteran in Hood County was arrested and charged with a felony for posting a joke on social media.
Kolton Krottinger, a U.S. Navy veteran, rancher, and local media figure, is facing a third-degree felony charge for posting a satirical meme.
The case is rapidly becoming a chilling example of how local officials are criminalizing basic political speech in the digital age.
Krottinger was arrested on November 5 after sharing what he believed was an obvious joke in the Facebook group “Hood County Sheepdogs.”
The meme lightly mocked two well-known figures in Granbury politics, activist Tina Brown and former school board candidate Monica Brown.
The post jokingly suggested that Tina supported the candidate she strongly opposes.
To locals familiar with years of political rivalry between the two women, the post was clearly tongue-in-cheek.
Republican precinct chair Sarah Fields described it as exactly that, noting it was “an obviously satirical meme to the local audience, who knew that Tina ‘Karen’ Brown has no love for the former Granbury ISD school board candidate, Monica Brown.”
REPORT – A Navy Veteran and Activist in Granbury, Texas, was Arrested for Posting a Satirical Meme in a Locally Known Satirical Facebook Group.
Kolton Krottinger was arrested on November 5th for felony “online impersonation—name/persona to create page” in the third degree.… pic.twitter.com/8NeQIcBTKd
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) November 8, 2025
But Tina Brown didn’t treat it as satire.
She reported the meme to the Hood County Sheriff’s Office, claiming it made it appear she endorsed a candidate she opposes.
Within days, investigators charged Krottinger under Texas Penal Code 33.07.
The law is intended for cases in which someone impersonates another person online to “harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten.”
In other words, a law written to stop identity-theft crimes is now being used to prosecute a veteran for a meme.
Krottinger was stunned.
He wrote on X that he “never imagined that exercising my right to free speech…something I swore to defend could land me in handcuffs.”
His attorney, C.J. Grisham, blasted the prosecution, framing the case as a direct assault on the First Amendment.
“It’s crazy that you can share a meme in the United States of America, where the First Amendment reigns supreme in our judicial system, and be thrown in jail and charged with a felony that could potentially ruin your entire life,” Grisham said.
He emphasized the meme was simply meant “to poke fun at the two people who can’t stand each other… That’s the joke of it.”
Grisham believes the arrest is political and warns that the case could have a severe chilling effect on speech across the county.
That concern is growing as local law enforcement signals a willingness to treat online sarcasm as a potential criminal offense.
Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds defended the investigation, encouraging residents to report social media posts they consider harmful.
Deeds is insisting his office “will investigate” social media posts “to the fullest extent of the law.”
While acknowledging that most online speech is protected by the First Amendment, Deeds added that some posts “may sometimes constitute a criminal offense.”
For Krottinger, who runs the “Hood County Breaking News” page and operates a ranch supporting veterans and first responders, the ordeal was deeply disorienting.
After his arrest, a court initially barred him from using social media. A judge later reversed that restriction, prompting Krottinger to share a relieved update on X:
“It feels good… really good to finally be able to post again.”
The case now stands as yet another warning sign, as, in parts of America, law enforcement isn’t just monitoring online speech, it’s criminalizing jokes.
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