Undocumented Rideshare Driver Accused of Rape Had Prior Arrest

A rideshare driver who authorities say entered the United States illegally has been arrested in Maryland on charges of raping a teenage girl. Police are warning that there may be additional victims after learning he had previously faced similar allegations in New York.

Abdoulaye Dia, 36, was taken into custody Wednesday after a teenage girl reported that he raped her in a parking lot the previous day, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Dia used the Empower rideshare platform.

The girl, who is under 18, told officers at a local hospital that the driver took her to a parking lot in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC, where he allegedly assaulted her.

Investigators used information from the rideshare app to identify Dia. Officers later arrested him nearby in Lanham.

“Based on the circumstances of the investigation, detectives are concerned there may be other victims,” the Montgomery County Police Department said.

Dia faces charges of first-degree rape, kidnapping, second-degree assault and third-degree sex offense.

The Department of Homeland Security later told Fox News that Dia is a citizen of Guinea and had been arrested in New York in June on similar charges.

DHS said Dia entered the United States illegally through Arizona in December 2023.

In the New York case, Dia was charged with sexual abuse by forcible compulsion, forcible touching of another person’s sexual or intimate parts, injuring a child under 17 and sexual abuse without consent.

Court records in that case have not been made public because of the nature of the allegations. A spokesperson for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office told local ABC affiliate WJLA that prosecutors sought to have Dia held on bond, but a judge instead ordered his release under supervision.

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Empower said in a statement to the Daily Mail that it does not employ or contract with drivers.

“Drivers using our software are our customers. They set their own rates and get 100% of their fares and pay Empower for access to our software,” the company said.

Empower said it conducted a background check, sex-offender check, driving-record review, Social Security trace and global watchlist search on Dia on July 16. The company said it used the same screening provider as Uber and Lyft and that no incidents were found.

“The Montgomery County Police Department reached out to Empower about this incident. Empower, as is our policy, asked law enforcement what Empower could do to assist their investigation and immediately provided all information requested,” the company said.

Empower operates as an alternative to Uber and Lyft, allowing drivers to set their own fares and keep 100% of the money paid by riders.

The platform is available in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte Metro, Dallas-Fort Worth, the DC Metro area, Houston, New York City, Tampa, Orlando and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Empower’s website says the service does not provide rides to minors. Uber permits teens ages 13 to 17 to travel without a guardian in select cities with permission, while Lyft offers unaccompanied minors rides through its Lyft Teen program.

The circumstances that led to the alleged assault in Maryland have not been shared. Dia appeared in court on Thursday and was ordered to remain behind bars without bail, according to records. 

It does not appear that he has retained an attorney or entered a plea in the charges against him. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not indicated whether it will issue a detainer against Dia or deport him. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to ICE, DHS and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for comment and more information.