Washington D.C. Man Faces Life Sentence for Kidnapping and Carjacking Charges!
David Zanders, a 22-year-old from Washington D.C., has admitted guilt in a case involving kidnapping and carjacking, events that took place back in May 2022. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced this development, stating that Zanders entered his guilty plea in front of Judge Royce C. Lamberth at the U.S. District Court.
The court has set the sentencing date for March 4, 2025, and Zanders could face life in prison for the kidnapping charge and an additional 15 years for carjacking.
Zanders was arrested on November 18, 2022, and has been in custody since that day. His charges arise from two separate but related incidents. The first involved Zanders and a partner executing a plan to kidnap two men outside a nightclub on Florida Avenue, NW. Posing as Uber drivers, they successfully lured the men into their car.
Then, with a firearm, they threatened the victims and took their belongings. Court documents reveal that the perpetrators tried to withdraw money from the victim’s credit cards at several locations. During the ordeal, one of the victims managed to escape, while the other was eventually released after being forced to withdraw money from an ATM in Maryland.
Later that same day, Zanders, along with two other individuals, carried out a carjacking. They pretended to be interested in buying a car and met the victims under this pretense. Through threats and intimidation, they forcibly took control of a 2019 green Dodge Charger.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar and Cameron Tepfer are handling the prosecution, with support from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized the coordinated efforts among law enforcement, including the MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Unit, the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Prince George’s County Police Department, which were critical in Zanders’ capture and subsequent admission of guilt.
Officials have underscored the gravity of Zanders’ crimes, recognizing the thorough investigative work that led to his apprehension and eventual guilty plea.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office detailed the case’s context and the legal proceedings, including the punishment Zanders may face as determined by U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors specified in the Attorney’s Office press release.