A months-long Fairfax County investigation into alleged drug activity at a Mount Vernon motel ended in a pre-dawn search warrant and four arrests on April 17, as officers moved in on multiple rooms at the Red Carpet Inn that police say were being used to sell narcotics.
Authorities identified the four people arrested as Elizabeth Pierce, 66, of Alexandria; Taevon Moore, 33, of Washington, D.C.; Shawn Banks, 36, of Alexandria; and Jose Gomez, 28, of Alexandria. During the operation, officers recovered an illegally possessed firearm, roughly 23 grams of suspected cocaine, about 2 grams of fentanyl, 40 Xanax bars and approximately $1,500 in cash, according to WJLA.
Police Action And Tips
The Fairfax County Police Department is asking anyone with information about the operation to contact the Mount Vernon District Station at 703-360-8400. That number is listed as the main line for the station on the department’s Mount Vernon district page, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Charges And Bond Status
Moore faces multiple felon-in-possession and distribution charges, including possession with intent to distribute while possessing a firearm, and is being held without bond. Pierce was charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl and maintaining a nuisance house and was released on a $2,000 bond.
Banks is charged with similar distribution offenses and was released on a $1,000 bond, while Gomez was served with a probation-violation warrant and later released on an unsecured bond, according to WJLA.
Why Motels Draw Traffickers
Investigators say motels can be attractive to traffickers because the rooms offer quick, low-profile transactions and a steady churn of tenants that can make it harder for neighbors to spot patterns. A recent FBI affidavit alleged an extensive drug and sex-trafficking operation at a Red Carpet Inn in Dumfries, highlighting the kind of activity law enforcement has been tracking across Northern Virginia, according to WTOP.
The Mount Vernon case remains an active investigation, and police say additional arrests or charges could follow. Anyone with tips is asked to contact the Mount Vernon District Station at 703-360-8400, per the Fairfax County Police Department.
