DUNKIRK, Md. — An automated license plate reader (LPR) alert led to the arrest of a 25-year-old Upper Marlboro man who was wanted on a felony warrant for failing to return a $26,000 rental car. The arrest at a Dunkirk Walmart also resulted in new drug charges after the suspect was allegedly found with suspected cocaine.
The incident began on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, when a Calvert County Sheriff’s deputy received an LPR notification for a 2024 Nissan Rogue that had been reported stolen through Prince George’s County. The deputy located the vehicle parked and unoccupied at the Dunkirk Walmart. When a man, identified as Brendan Anthony Morris, entered the driver’s seat, deputies initiated a stop and detained him.
According to the statement of probable cause, deputies confirmed the Nissan was the stolen vehicle and that Morris had an active arrest warrant from Prince George’s County. Before being searched, Morris told deputies he had a “cut straw with cocaine residue” in his pocket. A search of that pocket revealed a plastic bag containing 10 grams of a white powder substance suspected to be cocaine. A search of the vehicle also uncovered six Suboxone strips, for which Morris claimed to have a prescription but could not produce it.
The original warrant stemmed from an incident that began on May 14, 2025, when Morris rented the Nissan Rogue from an Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Upper Marlboro. He failed to return the vehicle by its May 27 due date. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact him, Enterprise reported the vehicle stolen, leading to a warrant being issued on July 6, 2025.
In Prince George’s County, Morris faces felony charges of theft: $25,000 to under $100,000, and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. The felony theft charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. In Calvert County, he faces a misdemeanor charge of CDS: Possess–Not Cannabis, which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail.
Court records show Morris was released on his own recognizance in both jurisdictions. He has a trial scheduled in Prince George’s County on Aug. 27, 2025, and another in Calvert County on Sept. 8, 2025.
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