Two Indian hotel owners, Kosha Sharma (52) and Tarun Sharma (55), were arrested in Virginia linked to drug and sex trafficking at the Red Carpet Inn. The FBI raided the motel on Thursday after a multi-year probe. The couple allegedly used the third floor of their motel for illegal drug sales and prostitution, while allowing guests to stay on the lower floors. They ran the motel under Kosha LLC. Court documents say they profited from these illegal acts. Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said, “Drug trafficking and sex trafficking devastate communities by exploiting vulnerable individuals and fueling violence and addiction.” She added, “Our office is committed to dismantling criminal enterprises that profit from human suffering. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold offenders accountable and disrupt the cycles of exploitation that threaten our communities.” Charges include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances like fentanyl. The Sharmas face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years if convicted. Since May 2023, authorities made nine prostitution encounters and 15 drug buys at the motel, including 11 fentanyl and 4 cocaine purchases. Three others—Margo Waldon Pierce, Joshua Roderick, and Rashard Perrish Smith—were also arrested for distributing drugs or helping in the operation. This brings the total arrested to five. Notably, Indian-origin hoteliers own about 60% of hotels in the U.S., mostly through the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. These are mainly economy and mid-scale hotels.