Attorney General Schwalb Sues Dangerous Maryland Driver Who Owes $187,200 In Tickets & Four Dangerous Virginia Drivers Who Amassed 800+ Traffic Violations

April 29, 2025

New Lawsuits Filed Under STEER Act Against Drivers Who Habitually Flout DC Laws & Seriously Endanger DC Residents

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced five new lawsuits seeking to hold drivers accountable for repeated dangerous and illegal conduct on DC streets—including one lawsuit against a Maryland driver who accumulated over 300 speeding tickets in just two years—and four lawsuits against Virginia drivers who have amassed more than 800 DC traffic citations for speeding, running stop signs and red lights, and various other moving infractions. In total, the five defendants owe the District $425,000 in unpaid fines, penalties, and fees. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) filed these civil suits using authority the DC Council granted under the Strengthening Traffic Enforcement, Education, and Responsibility (STEER) Act. The STEER Act enables OAG to hold drivers who flout DC traffic laws accountable by seeking monetary judgments against them even if they do not live in DC. These five lawsuits follow three suits OAG previously filed against dangerous Maryland drivers.

“Too many drivers think they can speed recklessly through the District, putting the safety of Washingtonians and visitors at risk, with no financial consequences for their lawlessness,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “These suits reflect our continuing commitment: if your actions behind the wheel put people’s lives at risk, we will hold you accountable, no matter where you live.”

OAG filed the lawsuits announced today against:

Charles V. Sanders Jr., a Maryland driver who owes the District $187,200 for 344 traffic infractions, including 316 citations for speeding. Sixty-one of the speeding citations were for driving 30+ miles per hour (MPH) over the speed limit, speeds which constitute aggravated reckless driving.
Ayanna Khalya Wilson, a Virginia driver who owes the District $77,100 for 244 traffic infractions. This includes 202 citations for speeding, of which eight were for driving 30+ MPH over the speed limit.
Omar Rahmouni El Idrissi, a Virginia driver who owes the District $69,456 for 263 traffic infractions, including 246 for speeding.
Dejene A. Abebe, a Virginia driver who owes the District $58,608 for 197 traffic infractions, including 163 citations for speeding.
Pedro James Baker, a Virginia driver who owes the District $31,316 for 159 traffic infractions, including 30 citations for speeding, 20 citations for running red lights, and 15 citations for running stop signs.

Lawsuit Against Charles V. Sanders, Jr.

From May 2020 through July 2022, Sanders racked up a staggering 344 citations for traffic infractions. Three hundred and sixteen of Sanders’ citations were for excessive speeding, including 61 citations for driving at speeds of 30 MPH or more over the speed limit, which would qualify as aggravated reckless driving. Sixty-six of his citations were for driving at speeds greater than 20 MPH over the speed limit, which would constitute reckless driving, 74 were for driving 16-20 MPH over the speed limit, and 114 were for driving 11-15 MPH over the speed limit. Sanders accrued 339 of his citations in a period of a little over a year—from March 2021 through July 2022—and during that period, he drew an average of nearly five speeding tickets per week. Sanders has failed to pay the District the $187,200 he owes for this extremely large number of dangerous driving violations.