Two D.C. residents, including a former Prince George’s County police officer, face charges after a yearlong investigation into vehicle theft and fraud, Arlington County police said.
Renaldo Gaines, 35, and Sierra Alston, 33, were taken into custody in Washington on July 23 with help from the U.S. Marshals Service. Police said they turned themselves in to Arlington County police the next day.
Gaines is charged with grand larceny auto, possession of a vehicle with removed or altered serial numbers, two counts of receiving stolen goods, two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and petit larceny. Alston is charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, according to police.
The investigation began March 18, 2025, when an officer checking a parking garage in the 800 block of Army Navy Drive spotted a suspicious, unoccupied vehicle, police said. Investigators determined the vehicle had been stolen in Nevada and had an altered vehicle identification number. Officers detained Gaines and Alston when they returned to the vehicle.
Police said the ensuing investigation found that Gaines and Alston conspired to steal or acquire stolen vehicles and alter their identification numbers to avoid detection. Austin was charged in a previous case involving the theft of three BMWs from a Reagan National Airport rental facility.
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. At the time, Alston was a Maryland police officer and used law enforcement resources to help Gaines, according to Arlington County police.
Police obtained arrest warrants this month. The investigation remains active.
Anyone with information can call the Arlington County Police Department tip line at 703-228-4180.
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