The former owner of Phoenix’s Royal Inn motel has been sentenced after federal officials said the property had become a long-running problem spot near I-17 and Bethany Home Road. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 57-year-old Varsha Patel was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering enterprises. As part of the sentence, Patel was ordered to forfeit the Royal Inn property, give up $744,000, and pay a $5,000 fine. Federal officials say the case followed a 2024 investigation by Phoenix Police and the FBI, which led to a search at the motel and the property later being shut down and fenced off by the U.S. Marshals Service. Prosecutors said the Royal Inn had been tied to years of criminal activity, with nearby residents, businesses, and schools raising concerns about what was happening around the property. Officials say the case is an example of federal and local agencies targeting properties accu...