A motel along Richmond Highway in Mount Vernon has been playing host to a drug distribution ring, Fairfax County police say.
Officers arrested four people at the Red Carpet Inn (8257 Richmond Highway) on April 17 after a three-month investigation found that they were distributing narcotics out of multiple hotel rooms, the Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Monday).
Police declined to share many details about the investigation, including how long the alleged drug dealing had been occurring, but officers were able to obtain a search warrant for the motel that they executed around 5 a.m. that day.
“During the operation, officers recovered an illegally possessed firearm … and over 23 grams of suspected cocaine, 2 grams of fentanyl, 40 Xanax bars, and approximately $1500 in cash,” the FCPD said in a press release.
The gun belonged to a 33-year-old man from D.C. with a prior felony conviction, making his possession of the firearm illegal, according to police.
More from the FCPD on the arrests and charges:
Taevon Moore, 33, of Washington, D.C., was charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I/II while Possessing a Firearm, Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and Manufacture Schedule I/II Drugs. He was held on no bond.
Elizabeth Pierce, 66, of Alexandria, was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and Maintaining a Nuisance House. She was later released on $2,000 bond.
Shawn Banks, 36, of Alexandria, was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession of Crack Cocaine, and Distribution of Controlled Paraphernalia. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.
The fourth person, a 28-year-old man from Alexandria, was served a warrant for violating probation but doesn’t appear to have been charged with any drug-related offenses. The FCPD says he was released from the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on an unsecured bond.
All of the individuals are scheduled to appear in Fairfax County General District Court for preliminary hearings on July 6 or 7, according to online court records.
Hi Hotels, which owns the Red Carpet Inn brand, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Screenshot via Google Maps
