How Indian-origin couple ‘Mama K’ and ‘Pop’ leased US motel, ran ‘sex and drug racket’

While guests were accommodated on the lower floors of Red Carpet Inn, the third floor of the Virginia motel was used for drug sales and prostitution.

An Indian-origin couple is at the centre of a federal investigation in the United States after an FBI-led raid uncovered an alleged drug and sex trafficking operation at a Virginia motel they leased and managed.

Indian-origin couple allegedly ran sex and drug operation from Virginia motel (representative image/AFP)

Kosha Sharma, 52, also known as Ma or Mama K, and Tarun Sharma, 55, referred to as Pop or Pa, were arrested following the raid at the Red Carpet Inn in Dumfries, according to an official release from the US Department of Justice.

Federal prosecutors allege the couple used parts of the motel to run illegal activities while continuing normal operations for unsuspecting guests.

Motel operated by the Sharmas

According to court documents, Kosha Sharma and Tarun Sharma, through Kosha LLC, had leased and operated the Red Carpet Inn since May 2023. Federal attorneys in northern Virginia allege that while guests were accommodated on the lower floors, the third floor of the motel was used for drug sales and prostitution.

The couple is accused of managing these activities from within the motel they ran, keeping the alleged criminal operation separate from regular guest areas.

Investigators say the alleged racket relied on repeated drug transactions and prostitution encounters carried out at the motel over several months. Law enforcement agencies conducted undercover operations at the Red Carpet Inn between May 28, 2025, and December 17, 2025.

During this period, authorities documented nine prostitution encounters and 15 controlled drug purchases at the property. Of these, 11 transactions involved fentanyl, while four involved cocaine, according to US police report.

Early morning raid and arrests

The investigation culminated in a coordinated operation by the FBI and the Prince William County Police. Authorities arrived at the Red Carpet Inn on Dumfries Road shortly before 6 am on January 15, weapons drawn, as part of the raid.

All five individuals named in the case were arrested at the motel. Surveillance footage of the operation, obtained by local news outlet FOX 5, showed agents moving into the parking lot and surrounding the premises.

Along with the Sharma couple, three others — Margo Waldon Pierce, Joshua Roderick and Rashard Perrish Smith — were arrested early that morning.

Charges and possible prison term

All five accused are facing charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl. If convicted, they could face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years, the US authorities said in a release.

In a press release issued on January 16, the Department of Justice said the five defendants made their first court appearance on Friday.

Assistant US Attorneys Catherine Rosenberg and Megan Braun have been appointed as the primary prosecutors in the case.

“Drug trafficking and sex trafficking devastate communities by exploiting vulnerable individuals and fueling violence and addiction,” said Lindsey Halligan, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a statement included in the DOJ release.

“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.”