By Keerthi Ramesh
Five people were formally charged this week in federal court in connection with an alleged sex trafficking and drug distribution network that authorities say operated out of a Dumfries motel.
The defendants appeared Friday in Prince William County Circuit Court, following a coordinated early-morning law enforcement raid on Jan. 15 at the Red-Carpet Inn, a budget motel on Dumfries Rd., Manassas, VA. Local police and FBI agents entered the property with guns drawn shortly before 6 a.m., culminating a multi-year investigation into illegal activity at the site, authorities said.
According to prosecutors, the operation cantered on the third floor of the motel, where occupants engaged in drug sales and prostitution. Court filings allege undercover officers conducted a series of controlled buys and prostitution encounters at the motel between May and December 2025.
11 of 15 controlled narcotics purchases involved fentanyl, while the remainder involved cocaine, officials said.
The five charged are Kosha Sharma, 52, and Tarun Sharma, 55, a married couple who leased and operated the motel through their business, along with Margo Waldon Pierce, Joshua Roderick and Rashard Perrish Smith. All face federal charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.
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In a statement, Lindsey Halligan, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said the alleged crimes “devastate communities by exploiting vulnerable individuals and fuelling violence and addiction.” She added that her office remains committed to dismantling such criminal enterprises.
Officials did not immediately detail whether the alleged prostitution activities involved coercion, but the combination of drug distribution and the operation of a prostitution ring drew scrutiny from both local and federal authorities. The FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Prince William County Police Department, working with the Virginia State Police, led the investigative efforts. Surveillance footage obtained by local news outlets captured agents staging the early-morning raid, surrounding the motel and taking multiple people into custody without incident.
Federal prosecutors say the arrests will send a clear message about law enforcement’s focus on combating violent and organized crime in Northern Virginia. Defense attorneys for the accused did not immediately return calls seeking comment Friday, and it was unclear whether any of the defendants have entered pleas.
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A federal judge will oversee pretrial proceedings, and prosecutors are expected to present further evidence and testimony at upcoming hearings. Authorities encouraged anyone with information about related criminal activity to contact the FBI or Prince William County authorities as the investigation continues.
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