A 36-year-old rideshare driver working for Empower has been arrested in Maryland on charges of first-degree rape, kidnapping and assault following allegations that he raped an underage girl in a parking lot near Washington, DC. The case raises serious concerns about background check procedures, as the suspect had been arrested in New York just months earlier on similar sexual abuse charges but was subsequently released on supervised release rather than held on bond.

Abdoulaye Dia, a citizen of Guinea who entered the United States illegally through Arizona in December 2023, was arrested in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Wednesday after the girl reported the assault the previous day. Police identified him through the Empower app and arrested him in nearby Lanham. The company stated it had conducted comprehensive background checks—including sex offender, driving record and global watchlist searches—on 16 July, with no incidents uncovered. Detectives have expressed concern that there may be additional victims, and Dia was ordered to remain in custody without bail following his court appearance.