Anthony Desalvo
Anthony Desalvo is facing federal charges after agents said he dropped a baggie of drugs while checking out of a Chattanooga hotel.
Desalvo, 31, is charged with federal drug possession for resale.
In the incident last Friday, Chattanooga Police Officer B. Smith responded to the Fairfield Inn & Suites at 40 Starview Lane on a report of found property believed to be narcotics by the manager.
The manager said someone had dropped a plastic baggie on the lobby floor that contained a clear crystal type substance inside that appeared to be drugs. The manager then showed Officer Smith the baggie that she had recovered from the floor.
Officer Smith asked Mrs. Scott if they had security video of the incident to possibly get information on the subject. Officer Smith reviewed the video and observed a heavy-set white male, later identified as Anthony Desalvo, wearing a black shirt and white shorts walk into the lobby to get a luggage cart.
Desalvo then turned around and started to walk back across the room and that is when the plastic baggie could be seen dropping out of his shorts and down his inside leg onto the floor. The manager said she had walked into the lobby behind the suspect and picked up the suspicious bag.
While Officer Smith was trying to figure out what room the suspect was staying in, the cleaning lady advised that the suspect was seen leaving out the back door.
Officer Smith was then escorted outside where Desalvo was seen sitting in the passenger seat of a white Toyota. The Toyota was backing out of a parking space attempting to leave.
Officer Smith flagged down the driver of the vehicle, Alana Wilbanks, who then stopped the car. The suspects were then asked for their identification.
Desalvo was placed into custody. Officer Smith then escorted the suspect out of his car, and he was placed into the back seat of the patrol car. As Officer Smith escorted Desalvo out of the vehicle another city police officer observed a pistol lying on the floor board where Desalvo's feet had been.
Officer Smith again reviewed the security video and found footage of Ms. Wilbanks carrying a small back pack, and Desalvo was seen carrying a tan backpack out the rear door towards their car. Wilbanks and Desalvo were then observed loading the vehicle with their belongings.
Both of the bags were later found to have drugs and drug paraphernalia inside them. Officers located approximately one pound of ice methamphetamine, three loaded handguns, and drug paraphernalia during the search.
Ms. Wilbanks and Desalvo are both convicted felons, authorities said.