Crime
FBI Shuts Down Phoenix Hotel Linked to Drug Trafficking and Prostitution2024-09-25
The FBI arrested one man, charged five others, and seized a Phoenix hotel over allegations of drug sales, money laundering, and racketeering. The Royal Inn hotel was described as a center for criminal activity, with the owners Varsha and Nilam Patel charged with permitting drug dealing and sex work on the premises, as well as laundering money from those activities. Four other individuals were indicted for selling drugs at the hotel.
Crime
Community Efforts Lead to Closure of Phoenix Hotel Linked to Criminal Activity2024-09-25
The Royal Inn hotel operation was a years-long collaboration between Phoenix’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking unit and the FBI, and in that time they identified more than 1,000 victims. The federal support allowed them to actually shut down the hotel, which had long been a concern for the local community.
Crime
Democratic Party Campaign Office in Arizona Damaged by Gunfire2024-09-24
A Democratic Party campaign office in Arizona was damaged by gunfire Sunday night, with no injuries reported. Police are investigating the shooting as a property crime since the office was unoccupied at the time.
