Four Rideshare Drivers Face Sexual Assault Charges in Salt Lake County

Wave of Criminal Charges Raises Safety Concerns for Passengers

Salt Lake County prosecutors charged a fourth rideshare driver with sexual assault on December 4, 2024, highlighting a disturbing pattern of incidents in the area. Braden Ray Fowers, 47, faces first-degree felony attempted rape charges for allegedly attacking a passenger in 2018. The charges come amid a cluster of similar cases, with three other rideshare drivers facing criminal accusations in the past week. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill addressed the cases while emphasizing the need for passenger vigilance.

5 Key Points

• Braden Ray Fowers, an Uber driver from Syracuse, faces attempted rape charges for a November 2018 incident.
• Three additional rideshare drivers face separate sexual assault charges in Salt Lake County.
• The accused drivers worked for both Uber and Lyft services.
• Charges involve incidents spanning from 2018 to 2024.
• All cases involve female passengers allegedly attacked during rides.

Recent Charges Highlight Six-Year Investigation

Braden Ray Fowers, 47, of Syracuse, faces first-degree felony attempted rape charges for an incident that occurred on November 3, 2018. According to court documents, Fowers, working as an Uber driver, picked up a female passenger who had requested a ride to work. During the ride, Fowers allegedly instructed the woman to sit in the front seat and made unwanted advances, commenting on her appearance and requesting to “hang out” later. The victim explicitly told Fowers he was making her uncomfortable and declined his advances. Upon reaching their destination, prosecutors say Fowers rushed to the passenger side door with his pants pulled down and attempted to inappropriately touch the woman, who defended herself by screaming and kicking him before fleeing into her workplace.

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Pattern of Rideshare Assaults Emerges

The charges against Fowers coincide with three other recent cases involving rideshare drivers in Salt Lake County. Lyft driver Abdoulaye Ali, 36, of Salt Lake City, faces forcible sexual abuse charges for allegedly inappropriately touching a passenger returning home from a concert in April. In a separate incident, Uber driver Alexander Richardson, 24, of North Salt Lake, received charges of attempted forcible sexual abuse and aggravated kidnapping after allegedly trying to take advantage of a distressed passenger leaving a bar in August. The fourth case involves Lyft driver Khairullah Haidary, 37, of Millcreek, who faces two counts of forcible sexual abuse for allegedly inappropriately touching a passenger in February 2023.

Law Enforcement Response and Safety Concerns

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill addressed the charges while speaking with KSL-TV, emphasizing that while rideshare services generally maintain safety standards, passengers must remain vigilant. “Bad people are going to do bad things, so you just need to be mindful and never let your guard down,” Gill stated. He clarified that these incidents should not be viewed as an indictment of rideshare services but rather as a reminder that passengers may find themselves in vulnerable situations. The district attorney’s office has yet to disclose why charges in the Fowers case were filed six years after the alleged incident. However, the timing coincides with the prosecution of three similar cases within the same week.