ARLINGTON (7News) — A former Prince George’s County police officer and a Washington, D.C., man have been arrested in Arlington, Virginia, following a yearlong auto fraud investigation.
According to the Arlington Police Department, D.C. residents Renaldo Gaines, 35, and Sierra Alston, 33—a former officer with the Prince George’s County Police Department—were taken into custody on July 23. Gaines faces charges including grand larceny auto and possession of a vehicle with altered serial numbers, while Alston was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and conspiracy to commit a felony. Police allege Alston used law enforcement resources to assist Gaines in the thefts.
The multi-agency investigation began on March 18, 2025, after an officer patrolling a parking garage on the 800 block of Army Drive in Arlington spotted a stolen Nevada vehicle with a tampered VIN. Both Gaines and Alston were detained at the scene, triggering a broader probe into their alleged involvement in auto theft, fraud, and conspiracy.
This is not Alston’s first arrest. She was previously arrested by Washington Metro Airport police for her alleged involvement in the theft of three BMWs from a SIXT rental facility at Reagan National Airport. Investigators reported finding her police jacket and official documents in one vehicle, her phone paired via Bluetooth to a second, and D.C. police bodycam footage placing her with the third. Those charges were ultimately dropped in March 2025…