Prince William County Police Department INVESTIGATIVE MERIT AWARD

OnOctober 3, 22, at 2105 hours, Officer Chance observed a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn located on Dumfries Road. Officers Watford and Lanman initially provided back-up. The Officers coordinated their approach and discovered the vehicle had a stolen tag. Interviews and searches yielded the recovery of evidence, specifically distribution level fentanyl and stolen license plates. The arrestee admitted to having a hotel room and the Officers were granted consent to search the room. Upon entry into the hotel room, Officers Chance and Lanman located two subjects engaged in prostitution. Officer Lanman built rapport with the subject who confessed to her actions and provided valuable information on a human trafficking and prostitution ring in which she was a victim as well. The search of the room yielded more drugs consistent with distribution.

As the scene continued to evolve, Officer Lanman observed several suspicious parties in the parking lot of the hotel about to leave in a vehicle. Officer Lanman acted quickly and decisively and made contact with the vehicle as it was about to drive away. Officer Lanman recalled the descriptions of the involved parties of the prostitution ring and realized the occupants of the vehicle matched those descriptions. Further investigation confirmed two occupants were participants in the prostitution ring and were tied to the female’s statements about human trafficking. Officer Lanman observed drug evidence within the vehicle and ultimately located schedule I/II drugs on both occupants.

In total, Officers Chance, Lanman and Watford made six arrests throughout the course of the investigation while gathering intelligence on drug distribution, a prostitution ring, and human trafficking. These officers utilized stellar interview and interrogation skills, determination and intuition to disrupt this criminal enterprise and provided a solid foundation for future criminal investigations to be built upon.