Authorities say a growing trend to rent hotel rooms for drug sales operations led to more arrests this weekend.

Four people were arrested at a Carrollton hotel after deputies with the Carroll County sheriff’s Crime Suppression Unit allegedly discovered an illegal methamphetamine and marijuana operation at two rooms.

Carroll County sheriff’s Inv. Telisha Gibson said Kristi Lovell, 29, of Whitesburg, and Robert Allsop, 34, of Carrollton, were arrested and charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and prescription drug charge violations after Lovell rented two rooms to allegedly sell the narcotics at the Jameson Inn on South Park Street.

Gibson said Lovell was about to check out of the room June 14 when authorities searched the two rooms and found about $2,500 in meth, less than an ounce of marijuana and about 20 prescription pills, containing Hydrocodone and other narcotics, inside the rooms.

Michael Langley, 30, of Roopville, and Gretchen Howard, 33, of Carrollton, both in one of the rooms during the search, were arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug-related objects, according to authorities.

Gibson said the hotel management at the Jameson Inn has been very cooperative in helping authorities in the investigation.

Inn manager Laura Camp said management wants to help law enforcement crack down on criminal activities to keep the establishment “family-friendly” for customers.

“We will not tolerate that kind of behavior,” Camp said. “We don’t not allow drug addicts to stay here, because we want it safe for families and travelers that stay. Our staff does take efforts to be aware ... and we will call police if there is suspicious activity going on.”

While the sheriff’s unit was investigating the incident, Gibson said a person staying at the hotel had called 911 to report the suspects had been in the hotel parking lot attempting to sell drugs.

Gibson said it was becoming more common to see drug dealers rent hotels for a short time to avoid possible forfeiture of their own house or property if they were arrested on drug charges.

“We’re running into dealers renting hotels, because they think if it’s a temporary stay, then by the time investigators catch on to the crime, they can leave,” she said. “They can go from hotel to hotel trying to sell drugs to avoid this, but with the help of citizens we are able to stop them. It’s becoming common to see dealers move and sell at hotels, because if they sell out of a property they own, then they risk forfeiture.”