Daijiworld Media Network - Virginia
Virginia, Jan 18: Two Indian-origin hotel operators have been arrested in the United States for allegedly running a drug distribution and sex trafficking operation out of a motel in Virginia, following a long-running federal investigation.
Kosha Sharma (52) and her husband Tarun Sharma (55) were taken into custody after an FBI raid on Thursday at the Red Carpet Inn, which they operated through a company named Kosha LLC. According to court records, the couple is accused of allowing — and profiting from — prostitution and narcotics sales on the motel’s third floor, while continuing to rent rooms to regular guests on the lower levels.
Federal prosecutors said the case is the result of a multi-year probe involving extensive surveillance and undercover operations. Since May 2023, investigators allegedly carried out nine prostitution stings and 15 controlled drug buys at the motel. Of these, 11 involved fentanyl and four involved cocaine.
US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan said such crimes have a devastating impact on communities. “Drug trafficking and sex trafficking exploit vulnerable individuals while fueling addiction and violence,” she said, adding that authorities remain committed to dismantling criminal networks that profit from human suffering.
In addition to the Sharmas, three other individuals — Margo Waldon Pierce, Joshua Roderick, and Rashard Perrish Smith — have also been arrested for allegedly distributing drugs or aiding the illegal operation. A total of five people are now facing charges linked to the case.
The Sharmas have been charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl. If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years.
The case has drawn attention due to the significant presence of Indian-origin entrepreneurs in the US hospitality sector. An estimated 60 per cent of hotels in the country are owned by Indian-origin hoteliers, many of them members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), which represents tens of thousands of economy and mid-scale properties nationwide.