A former Limestone County Commission chairman is accused of using fake profiles on social media to target and harass multiple people, including the person elected as his replacement, while pretending to be a federal employee, records show.

The harassment was reported to authorities Dec. 27, 2019, by a private individual who said she was threatened a few days prior in the comments section of a Facebook post on The News Courier’s page. The account, which has since been removed from the social media network, used the name “Randall Carson” and featured a caricature of actor Redd Foxx as its profile picture.

Comments and posts from the account user included memes and derogatory statements about current commission chairman Collin Daly and District 4 Commissioner Ben Harrison. On Dec. 24, 2019, the account was used to comment on a story about LaDon Townsend’s campaign to be the next District 4 commissioner.

According to an incident report filed with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, “‘Randall Carson’ posted in the comments and began arguing with several people. At one point, he asked to meet (the victim) at the sheriff’s office and she did not do so.”

In the since-deleted comment thread, the account posted photos from the sheriff’s office parking lot. When the victim replied she would meet him after Christmas, the account posted another image of Redd Foxx, this time of him holding up a fist with a gun on his shoulder. The text posted with the image said the user “was ready for you and John Wahl” followed by two crying-laughing emojis.

Wahl is the senior vice-chairman of the Alabama Republican Party.

“(The victim) was alarmed by the post as were several others that saw the post, and she fears that whoever is behind the fake Facebook account could be dangerous,” the report reads.

Records show Investigator Caleb Durden used shadows in the photos of the sheriff’s office parking lot to determine when they were taken and that the person behind the account was driving a white Chevrolet truck.

“The driver and only occupant of the vehicle appeared to be Jackie Mark Yarbrough, the former Limestone County Commission chairman,” Durden said in a report.

Durden confirmed the truck was registered to Yarbrough, according to the report.

“During the course of using a fake identity of a black male to harass Limestone County residents on Facebook, Yarbrough also claimed to work for the United States Social Security Administration. In his assumed false identity, he also tried to and did injure the reputation of elected officials in Limestone County,” Durden said in the report.

Records show District 2 Commissioner Steve Turner and District 3 Commissioner Jason Black confirmed Yarbrough’s use of the “Randall Carson” account. The report says further investigation revealed Yarbrough also had an account under the name “Terrence Phillips.”

Yarbrough, 57, was arrested Monday on charges of harassing communications and criminal impersonation. The charges relate to the Randall Carson account only. The criminal impersonation charge stems from his use of SSA as a place of employment for Carson.