DC government employee arrested on drug charges

WASHINGTON - A District employee who works in the Mayor's Office of Religious Affairs has been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to the court affidavit filed in the case, U.S. Park Police served a warrant at an apartment on C Street in Southeast D.C. Tuesday just after 6 a.m.

Officers say they found Lorenzo Sanders inside the apartment along with a large amount of cocaine, cash, drug paraphernalia, three unused ski masks, cell phones and a notepad with names and phone numbers.

The affidavit says police found 60 grams of cocaine in plastic bags inside the toilet and 62 grams of cocaine in bags inside the toilet trap. In a men's jacket, police say they also found $2,000 in cash.

Also in the affidavit, police say they arrested Sanders' son, Dominic. He was arrested while they served a warrant on Tuesday in Temple Hills, Maryland. Police say they found cocaine and a gun there.

But when police interviewed Dominic Sanders, he told them all that was found in his father's apartment belonged to him. However, police say they have no evidence what they did find had anything to do with Sanders' son.

Lorenzo Sanders is a clerical assistant working for the Mayor's Office of Religious Affairs. He was hired in 2012 under the Vincent Gray administration and was a holdover in the current administration.

Michael Czin, communications director for Mayor Muriel Bowser, said in a statement:

"This morning, the Administration learned about the arrest of Lorenzo Sanders, a clerical assistant in the Office of Community Affairs. Mr. Sanders, a career service employee, was hired in 2012 by the Gray Administration. Unlike direct mayoral appointees, Mr. Sanders cannot be immediately terminated at will. We have placed Mr. Sanders on administrative leave and have engaged the HR process necessary to terminate career service employees. The Bowser Administration does not tolerate employees who violate the public trust. We have made Mr. Sanders' work space available to the police."

The judge in this case has ordered Sanders held without bond.