An illegal immigrant rideshare driver accused of sexually assaulting a teenage passenger in Maryland has a prior arrest for sex abuse in New York City, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced.
Abdoulaye Dia, a national from Guinea, has been charged with first-degree rape, kidnapping, second-degree assault, and third-degree sex offense, according to DHS. The alleged assault occurred on Tuesday when Montgomery County police officers responded to a hospital where an underage teen reported she had been raped by an Empower rideshare driver.
Investigators identified Dia through information from the rideshare app. He was arrested on Wednesday. According to DHS, Dia entered the United States illegally through Arizona in December 2023 and was released by the Biden administration.
Empower stated that all its drivers undergo background checks, including sex offender registries, motor vehicle records, and Social Security traces. They are also vetted against a global watchlist used by Uber and Lyft. The company said Dia’s background check, conducted on July 16, 2026, did not reveal any incidents. Empower confirmed they are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation.
Dia was previously arrested in New York City on June 10 for charges including sexual abuse by forcible compulsion, forcible touching, injuring a child under 17, and sexual abuse without consent, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News.