Two suspects, one of them a former Prince George’s County police officer, have been arrested following an Arlington auto fraud investigation.
The investigation spanned over a year, the Arlington County Police Department said in a press release today (Tuesday). Officers allege that both suspects, former police officer Sierra Alston and Renaldo Gaines, “conspired to steal vehicles, acquire stolen vehicles and subsequently alter those vehicles’ VINs to disguise them from detection.”
“At the time of these events, Ms. Alston was employed as a police officer in Maryland and used law enforcement resources to assist Mr. Gaines in the theft and fraud,” police wrote.
The investigation began on March 18, 2025, when an officer noticed a “parked, unoccupied suspicious vehicle” inside a parking garage on the 800 block of Army Navy Drive.
“During the course of the investigation, officers determined the vehicle had been stolen out of Nevada and was displaying an altered vehicle identification number (VIN),” ACPD said. “Officers detained the two suspects upon their return to the vehicle.”
Alston had previously been arrested in October 2024 following the theft of three BMWs from a rental car company at Reagan National Airport, according to WJLA. Authorities originally connected that case to the theft of 30 vehicles from the rental company’s lot, but the charges were later dropped.
Alston left the police department in December 2025, according to Fox 45.
Then, in March of this year, Alston faced charges again — this time alongside another former Prince George’s County police officer, as well as an officer who was employed with the force at the time. Alston was charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in office and one count of solicitation of misconduct in office.
In the most recent case, Alston has been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony. Gaines, meanwhile, was charged with grand larceny auto, possession of a vehicle with serial numbers removed or altered, petit larceny, two counts of receiving stolen goods and two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.
Both suspects were taken into custody in D.C. on July 23 with assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, ACPD said.
