Driver Accused Of Impaired Driving, Found With Concealed Weapon After Late-Night Stop

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — Anthony Saffell Folks, 59, of Lanham, was arrested on Oct. 24, 2025, and charged with dangerous weapon concealment, along with six related traffic violations, according to police and court documents. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2026.

According to police records, on Oct. 23, 2025, at approximately 11:46 p.m., officers responded to West Chesapeake Beach Road and North Solomons Island Road for a traffic complaint. Dispatch advised that a black GMC with Maryland registration was observed swerving in and out of its lane, stopping unpredictably and traveling east on Route 260.

Officers stationed in the median of Route 260 observed the GMC traveling toward their location and began following the vehicle. Police reported that the GMC crossed the white fog line, swerved across the center line, activated its left signal, immediately switched to the right signal, then turned both off. The vehicle then crossed the left fog line, nearly struck a concrete median and abruptly swerved back to the right.

According to police records, a traffic stop was conducted on Route 260 near Cox Road. The driver was identified as Anthony Saffell Folks, the sole occupant of the vehicle. According to police, Folks allegedly had the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person. When asked about alcohol consumption, Folks allegedly stated he had one beer, which was a Corona approximately an hour and a half earlier. Officers reported that Folks’ speech allegedly appeared slurred.

As outlined in court documents, police conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST). According to officers on the scene, as Folks exited the GMC and approached the police cruiser, he allegedly had difficulty maintaining his balance and leaned on the police vehicle for support. Officers noted in the police report that the testing area was dry, level and well-lit by streetlights and flashlights. Police stated that Folks allegedly showed no visible injuries and appeared physically capable of performing the test.

Documents state that after the SFST, Folks was offered a preliminary breath test, which he allegedly refused. Based on what they observed during the sobriety tests, officers placed him under arrest for suspected impairment above the 0.08 threshold.

Police records show that a search incident to arrest revealed a red Solo cup and a bottle containing an unknown liquid with an alcohol odor on the front passenger floorboard, and a pair of silver brass knuckles in the vehicle’s center console.

Under Maryland law, dangerous weapon concealment carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and/or a $1,000 fine. Alcohol-related driving offenses may carry additional penalties of up to one year in jail, fines up to $1,000 and license suspension.

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