The $187,000 Man: 5 Shocking Facts About Charles V. Sanders Jr., The Maryland Driver Who Rocked D.C. Traffic Enforcement

The name Charles V. Sanders Jr. of Brandywine, Maryland, has become synonymous with an unprecedented level of traffic enforcement evasion and reckless driving in the District of Columbia. As of the latest reports, this Maryland driver is at the center of a landmark legal battle that highlights the aggressive new measures D.C. is taking to crack down on out-of-state commuters who treat the capital’s roads with impunity. The sheer volume of his infractions—hundreds of citations and nearly $200,000 in debt—has made him a notorious figure and a primary target under D.C.'s stringent new laws.

The story of Charles V. Sanders Jr. is not one of a political career or medical excellence, but a shocking chronicle of a motorist who, for a period, seemed to treat traffic laws as optional. The details, which came to light through a lawsuit filed by the D.C. Attorney General, reveal a pattern of behavior that officials have labeled a clear threat to public safety. This article dives deep into the facts, the legal consequences, and the astonishing statistics behind the man who became the face of D.C.’s fight against scofflaw drivers as of December 2025.

Charles V. Sanders Jr.: The Shocking Profile of a Traffic Violator

Unlike a traditional biography of a public figure, the available profile for Charles V. Sanders Jr. is defined almost entirely by the extraordinary volume of his traffic violations and the ensuing legal action. He is the sole Maryland resident named in a high-profile set of lawsuits filed by the District of Columbia Attorney General's Office.

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• Full Name: Charles V. Sanders Jr.
• Residence: Brandywine, Maryland
• State of License/Registration: Maryland (Maryland Driver’s License and Maryland License Plate)
• Legal Action: Named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit filed by the D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.
• Timeframe of Infractions: May 2020 through July 2022.
• Primary Violation Type: Automated traffic enforcement (speeding, red light, etc.)

The lawsuit against Sanders was part of a broader push to hold drivers from neighboring states, specifically Maryland and Virginia, accountable for fines they had accumulated and ignored while driving in the District. The D.C. Attorney General's office explicitly called him a "clear threat to public safety" due to the reckless nature and frequency of his violations.

5 Astonishing Facts About Sanders’ Traffic Infractions

The case of Charles V. Sanders Jr. is not just about a few unpaid tickets; it represents one of the most extreme instances of traffic law evasion ever pursued by the District of Columbia. The numbers are staggering and paint a picture of relentless disregard for D.C. traffic regulations.

1. The Monumental Debt: Over $187,000 in Fines

The total amount of fines and penalties accumulated by Sanders reached a monumental $187,200. This massive figure was the result of hundreds of unpaid tickets, which continued to accrue late fees and additional penalties over time. The lawsuit was a direct attempt by D.C. officials to recover this staggering amount of outstanding debt, which is revenue that the District relies on for public services and infrastructure. The sheer scale of the debt places him in a category of his own among regional traffic violators.

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2. The Citation Count: 344 Infractions in Just 26 Months

Between May 2020 and July 2022—a period of just over two years—Charles V. Sanders Jr. was cited for 344 traffic infractions. This translates to an average of over 13 citations per month, or roughly three per week. The majority of these were for automated violations, meaning they were captured by traffic cameras for speeding or running red lights. The astonishing frequency suggests a habitual and systemic pattern of dangerous driving behavior in the District.

3. The Speeding Epidemic: 316 Speeding Tickets

Of the 344 total citations, an overwhelming 316 were specifically for speeding. This fact is central to the D.C. Attorney General’s argument that Sanders posed a direct and significant threat to the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists. The sheer number of speeding tickets led officials to state that he was averaging five speeding tickets a week over a 16-month period, demonstrating an extreme level of reckless driving on D.C. streets.

4. The Legal Weapon: Sued Under the STEER Act

The ability of the District of Columbia to pursue Sanders was significantly bolstered by the "Stop Traffic Enforcement Evasion and Reckless Driving Act" (STEER Act). This law was designed to give the Attorney General the authority to file civil lawsuits against the most egregious traffic violators, particularly those from out-of-state who had historically been difficult to prosecute or collect fines from. The lawsuit sought not only to recover the debt but also to secure an injunction to prevent Sanders from driving in D.C. until the debt was paid, underscoring the severity of his actions.

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5. The Immediate Consequence: Vehicle Seizure

A key and immediate consequence of the legal action against Sanders was the seizure of his vehicle. The D.C. government has the authority to immobilize or seize vehicles with large amounts of unpaid fines, and in Sanders' case, the process was initiated to ensure the driver could no longer use the vehicle to commit further offenses in the District. The seizure of the car served as a highly visible and public deterrent to other out-of-state drivers considering ignoring D.C. traffic laws.

The Impact of the Sanders Case on Regional Traffic Enforcement

The Charles V. Sanders Jr. case has become a major talking point in the ongoing debate about traffic safety and enforcement across the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, involving jurisdictions like Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland, and various counties in Northern Virginia.

The lawsuit is a clear signal that the District of Columbia is no longer willing to tolerate what they view as "traffic tourism," where out-of-state drivers feel immune to D.C.'s automated enforcement systems. Historically, the process of collecting fines from Maryland and Virginia drivers has been complex and slow, leading many to simply ignore the citations. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's office has actively used the STEER Act to close this loophole, making the consequences for evasion much more severe and personal.

The strategy of filing civil lawsuits against a handful of the most prolific violators, with Sanders being the prime example, serves a dual purpose: it aims to recover the hundreds of thousands of dollars owed and, perhaps more importantly, sets a powerful legal precedent. The publicity surrounding the case ensures that commuters from Maryland and Virginia are now acutely aware of the financial and legal risks associated with ignoring D.C. traffic cameras, particularly for high-frequency offenses like speeding and red light violations. This aggressive enforcement is intended to directly reduce reckless driving and improve public safety for all residents and visitors of the District.

The story of Charles V. Sanders Jr. is a cautionary tale for all interstate commuters. It demonstrates the powerful legal tools now being deployed by the District of Columbia to enforce its traffic laws, transforming the penalties for scofflaws from simple fines into major civil liabilities and vehicle seizures. The focus on high-volume offenders like Sanders shows a commitment to using the courts to address systemic public safety threats on D.C. roads. The legal proceedings against Sanders are being closely watched as they continue to shape the future of regional traffic enforcement and inter-jurisdictional cooperation.