DENVER — A man who allegedly posed as a Lyft driver and sexually assaulted a Colorado lawmaker last year is now facing charges.
The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday it was filing a felony charge against 42-year-old Mukhammadali Mukadyrov for allegedly assaulting Rep. Jenny Willford in Northglenn on Feb. 24, 2024.
In announcing a lawsuit against the rideshare company earlier this year, Willfrod said she had ordered a Lyft after a night out with friends.
“A few minutes into the ride, the driver started asking personal questions, like if I was married, and then it quickly escalated to inappropriate comments about what he wanted to do to me and how he felt that my husband wouldn't mind if we had sex. He clearly had a plan for how he wanted his night to turn out, and I was trapped in his car,” Willford said.
Willford said she texted her husband and neighbor during the ride because she was scared the driver would act upon what he said.
When the driver stopped near her Adams County home, Willford said he blocked her from exiting the vehicle and pushed her back into the car.
“I don't know how to put into words how excruciating it was to be so close to home, so close to my husband and our two kids, and so close to safety while being assaulted in view of my house," Willford said through tears. “After I pushed my way out, I ran down my neighbor's driveway and I hid in their backyard until it was safe to go home.”
Willford reported what happened to the Northglenn Police Department and Lyft.
The lawsuit alleges Lyft responded by telling Willford she would not be matched with that driver again and refunding her $85.53 fair.
“As my case has been investigated, I've learned that the driver was using someone else's profile and wasn't even the driver presented to me by the Lyft app," said Willford.
It's a practice Willford's attorney, Morgan Carroll, called account renting.
“The issue of account renting, if you're not familiar with the term, is one person will go through and create a legitimate account, pass a background check and often make money on the side or give a password to a friend," said Carroll. “And now we have a stream of people with access to the Lyft accounts who have not passed a background check and are not a qualified driver in the state of Colorado using the app."
According to Lyft's policies, drivers are not allowed to let other people use their accounts. In a written statement, a spokesperson for Lyft said impersonating a driver "can and does lead to a permanent ban from the platform."
The statement from Lyft continued to say safety is fundamental to the company, and the company takes reports of sexual assault "very seriously." When such incidents are reported, Lyft said it works with local law enforcement so appropriate actions can be taken.
A Lyft spokesperson said the company does not comment on issues directly related to ongoing litigation. The company has a safety response team, a partnership with ADT to assist with emergencies, and is "working with leading national organizations" to inform their safety policies, according to the spokesperson.
The lawsuit claims the problem of fake rideshare accounts or sharing an account is difficult to quantify but "reports suggest the issue is significant with estimates including thousands of fraudulent accounts being created every month."
Carroll does not believe Lyft has done enough to combat account renting.
“Lyft has also known about the systemic problem of imposter and fake accounts and has failed to address this systemic problem," said Carroll. “Most disturbing out of the failure to address this issue is it is usually exactly because a person cannot pass a background check that they're using these imposter or rented accounts in order to pick people up for money.”
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