Wrong Plate Leads to DUI and Eluding Arrest in Chester
Queen Anne's County, MD - On October 27, 2026, at approximately 10:24 p.m., the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office was working traffic enforcement near Dominion Road and Route 50 in Chester, Maryland. A quick check on a passing car led to a man facing more than 20 charges and citations.
The driver has been identified as James Dunlavey. His charges include DUI, DWI, and several counts of trying to get away from police.
Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Deputy Meehan ran the plate on a car that drove past. The plate came back as belonging to a different vehicle.
The deputy followed the car and tried to pull it over near Route 50 and South Piney Road. He turned on his lights and siren but the vehicle kept going. It turned onto Route 18 and then pulled into the Chester Village parking lot.
Once the car stopped, Dunlavey got out and tried to leave on foot. Deputies stopped him before he could get away.
While Deputy Meehan talked with Dunlavey, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. The deputy also saw an open alcoholic drink sitting in the center console.
Dispatch then told the deputy that Dunlavey already had an active warrant. That warrant was for DUI and eluding police.
Dispatch also said Dunlavey's license came with a restriction. He was only allowed to drive a vehicle that had an ignition interlock system, which is a device that checks a driver's breath for alcohol before the car will start.
Dunlavey refused to do field sobriety tests. He later refused a test to measure the alcohol in his system.
Deputies placed him under arrest. As they kept looking into the case, they learned the car he was driving was not registered.
The plate on the car didn't belong to it at all. Deputies found that it belonged to a vehicle owned by a rental company.
The charges tied to the car and its plate include displaying a plate issued for another vehicle and unauthorized use of a registration plate. He also faces charges for driving an unregistered vehicle, knowingly driving without insurance, and not showing a registration card when asked.
Dunlavey is charged with several license violations as well. These include driving on a suspended out of state license, driving without a required license, driving while suspended, violating a license restriction, and not showing his license to police when asked.
Other driving charges include reckless driving, negligent driving, and two counts of failing to stop at a stop sign. He also faces DUI, DWI, and driving a vehicle without the required ignition interlock.
The last group of charges deals with not stopping for deputies. Dunlavey faces four eluding charges, two for failing to stop and two for running away on foot.
Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.
