I'm not sure that it was about the right person at the right time. It might even be the opposite, the wrong person at the wrong time. He joined a small community that was going about its business in a loose and generally cooperative manner, and steamrolled his way through it. People were willing to help him because they didn't realize that he was out for himself only, and by the time some of them realized what a problem he was, he had just enough support to get away with pushing them aside. Many simply walked away when they realized the effort was more than it was worth to fight back, especially when the response from many was to pile on. Anyone who wanted to do their thing peacefully fell in line, anyone who tried to fight back either walked away or was marginalized.
The time is always ripe for an amoral opportunist to overwhelm a small community and poison it. There might be a chance to run him out of this one, but people will need to make sure not to underestimate him.