On Monday, Carson Chambers at WBTV reported about the City of Charlotte filing a temporary restraining order against the Star Choice Hotel and Residence. This is the first legal step in getting the hotel shut down.I went down to the courthouse and obtained a copy of the preliminary injunction. From what I read, it is perfectly clear this hotel is a one stop shop for drugs, prostitution and other criminal activity. Hopefully, the Judge who hears this case will make the right decision and shut down this crime infested hotel until they clean it up.
The hotel is located at 3024 East Independence Blvd. I took a trip to the hotel and took some photos. Of course, I was not about to go inside and get a look but the outside was enough... if you want to judge a book but its cover. The exterior of the building is run down. The parking garage looks as if it is about to collapse and the swimming pool is run down.
On December 30, 2003, Chican Hospitality Ltd. purchased the Star Choice Hotel. According to the court records, Chican Hospitality is a corporation organized in Alberta, Canada. The hotel opened in January of 2004.Several CMPD police officers' sworn statements are included in the court documentation. Police say the street crimes division started to receive information and complaints about the hotel soon after it was opened.
The complaints included drug sales and prostitution occurring on the property and surrounding area on a daily basis. Police learned that several residents of the hotel are convicted criminals and even the so-called "security guards" were involved in the illegal activity.
Police met with the owners and managers of the hotel numerous times over the past few years. Officers tried to work with the owners to take steps to eliminate the criminal activity occurring on the premises.
The hotel management does not have any controls in place to limit access to the building or the hotel parking garage. They did not have any check-in policies and they were allowing 3rd parties to pay for others' rooms.On several occasions, the hotel owners and management committed to improving the conditions of the hotel and take steps to curtail the illegal activities happening on the property.
In 2005, the hotel Manager signed a letter of commitment entering the "Crime Free Hotel/Motel Program" and wrote a letter to the Chief Stephens expressing his desire to commit to the program. Clearly, the hotel owners and management were giving the police lip service.
In addition to the problem with criminal activity at the hotel, the local residents who live behind the hotel have been invaded. Residents of the Echo Hills neighborhood have seen an increase in criminal activity in their neighborhood. Neighborhood residents have been robbed at gunpoint, prostitutes wonder the streets in front of their homes, drug deals are made in the street and they have had an increase of home break-ins.
Police have conducted three undercover sting operations at the Star Choice Hotel.The first operation was in April of 2006. It lasted for one hour- from 2:00-3:00 in the afternoon. In one hour, police were able to purchase crack & cocaine from two different people. They were solicited by one male and one female prostitute. Police saw one hand to hand drug transaction and found a used condom in the stairwell.
In addition to the criminal activities, police documented that the rooms are unsanitary. They observed heavily soiled mattresses with what appeared to be urine and other bodily fluids.
Police conducted the second sting operation in May of 2006. The sting lasted for three hours from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Undercover police purchased drugs from five different people. They were solicited by one prostitute and busted a woman for smoking a crack pipe in the parking lot.
In November of 2006, police conducted the third sting operation. The sting was two hours long and police were able to purchase marijuana, crack, cocaine and were solicited by one prostitute. In addition to busting the criminals, police arranged for a third party purchase of a room and the hotel allowed it.
From January 1, 2003 to November 30, 2006, police responded to 559 service calls at the Star Choice Hotel and they filed 121 criminal offense reports. During this time period, police arrested 108 people who were either inside or outside the Star Choice Hotel. (see slide show below for photos)In the Echo Hills neighborhood, which the Star Choice Hotel is a part of, police have filed 366 Part I crime incident reports. Part I incidents include the crimes of homicide, rape, robbery, larceny, drug possession, rape, vehicle theft, assault and arson.
Another notable thing to mention is that the Star Choice Hotel & Residence represents itself on the internet as having "clean and quality rooms at affordable rates." Can you imagine coming in from out of town expecting a decent hotel and find this place? One thing they say on the website is probably true... "Many returning guests swear by us!" However, they fail to mention the 'returning guests' are criminals.
The following slide show contains mugshots of the criminals who reside at the Star Choice Hotel and those who have been arrested on the premises: