The mayor of Fairfax, Va., a wealthy Washington suburb, was arrested on charges of distributing methamphetamines as part of an alleged "meth-for-sex" scheme, Fairfax County Police said Friday.
Mayor Richard "Scott" Silverthorne, 50, who is also a substitute teacher for Fairfax county public schools, was arrested Thursday after he allegedly provided meth to undercover officers who met him at a local hotel, police said.
Two others, identified as the mayor's alleged suppliers, Juan Jose Fernandez, 34, and Caustin Lee McLaughlin, 21, both of Maryland, were also arrested outside a Virginia hotel and charged with distributing methamphetamines, police said.
The mayor did not resist arrest and cooperated with officers, police said, but an officer used a Taser on McLaughlin after he allegedly "physically resisted" his arrest, police said.
Silverthrone, who is serving his third term as mayor, was charged with felony distribution of meth and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Silverthorne's bio on the official Fairfax city website states he is "a champion for quality of life issues."
In January, Silverthorne told
The Washington Post that “it’s been a terrible year for me,” referring to financial and medical issues,
the newspaper reports.
“There’s no question about it,” he said at that time. “I can try to sugarcoat it as best I can, but the facts speak for themselves.”
The Post says Silverthorne was laid off in June from his job as a director of recruitment with the National Association of Manufacturers and that a bank had foreclosed on his house.
Police said the arrests stemmed from an investigation that began in July when they learned of a possible meth dealer in Fairfax, about 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. The investigation found that Silverthorne was allegedly trying to distribute meth through a website used to arrange for casual sex between men, police said.
An undercover detective then created a profile on the site and within a few days made contact with Silverthorne, police said. The two made arrangements to meet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Virginia's Tysons Corner area allegedly to exchange meth for “a group sexual encounter,” police said.
Police alleged that Silverthorne had distributed meth in this manner on at least two other occasions.
Silverthorne's official bio also says he "recognizes the importance of connecting communities. As Mayor, he strongly supports building more trails and sidewalks to encourage a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly community promoting a healthy lifestyle and cultivating a more livable city."
