Overview
- Kosha Sharma and Tarun Sharma, who leased and ran the Red Carpet Inn in Dumfries, Virginia, were arrested with three others after a predawn Jan. 15 raid by the FBI, Prince William County police, and Virginia State Police.
- All five defendants face a federal count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years if convicted.
- Court filings describe nine prostitution encounters and 15 controlled drug buys between May 28 and Dec. 17, 2025, with 11 purchases involving fentanyl and four involving cocaine.
- Prosecutors allege the Sharmas profited from illicit activity concentrated on the motel’s third floor, directed customers, and warned occupants about nearby police presence.
- The accused include Margo Waldon Pierce, Joshua Roderick, and Rashard Perrish Smith; Pierce is alleged to have handled all 15 drug transactions, and the case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Rosenberg and Megan Braun.