CHARLOTTE, NC — Teen prostitutes bought and sold over and over again inside a Charlotte motel room. Now, that motel is scrambling to stay in business after the feds swoop in.
The Red Roof Inn has already lost its franchise, and the motel owner could also lose the property. It’s the final chapter in a three-year operation that uncovered repeated drug and sex crimes.
Only time will tell whether this local business owner can repair this motel’s badly stained reputation. Sex trafficking teenagers as young as 15, robberies dealing cocaine and crack–three years worth of crimes federal agents say happened at this Red Roof Inn.
WCCB News reporter Courtney Francisco went inside just as Red Roof terminated their agreement with the local owner. The employee behind the counter started working there two months ago. Francisco asked him how child prostitutes could go unnoticed.
“Once you go in your room, what are you going to do?” he said. “I don’t know. You buy room in your name, and you put somebody in your room, how can we… right?”
The U.S. Attorney’s civil notice says law enforcement has been trying to work with owner Chandresh Patel to clean up the motel for nearly two years. The investigation officially started in 2012. In court documents, undercover agents detail at least eight cases of child prostitution.
One 17-year-old described a pimp selling her to 10 men in two days. Agents say pimps paid off motel managers and maids to keep quiet. Undercover police even dealt cocaine in front of a motel clerk.
Francisco tracked down the motel owner’s father. He said he has no idea about the crime accusations or losing the Red Roof franchise.
Patel’s attorney knew exactly what Francisco was asking about, and wrote: “…new procedures have been implemented to promptly eliminate the conditions that may have led to any criminal activity in the past.”　
Francisco also asked the motel employee specifically about those new procedures.
“That’s what we’re trying now, check the ID and everything, just follow what the police say,” he said
“This has been happening since 2012?” asked Francisco.
“Yes, ma’am,” said the employee. “I have no idea. Yeah, I just came up in two months.”
The motel owner will now have to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s office or face losing the property.
As the sign came down, Red Roof notified guests and re-located those that wanted to leave to other Red Roofs in town.
