Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Uber driver, Ahmed Tawfeeq, was recently sentenced to five years for sexually assaulting one of his passengers. Now, he will face additional charges alleging that he attempted to hire someone to hurt, silence, or threaten her.
The charges against Tawfeeq included criminal sexual abuse, promoting prostitution, attempted sexual assault, aggravated battery, and unlawful restraint.
Now, Tawfeeq will appear as a defendant in a second trial alleging that he posted bond for a fellow inmate and offered him another $6,000 to “kidnap” the complainant in an apparent attempt to silence or intimidate her.
Another inmate told corrections officers that Tawfeeq asked him for a favor. Tawfeeq admitted to raping the woman in his Uber vehicle and said that he needed someone to kidnap and threaten the girl so she would not testify at trial.
Examining the Sexual Assault Charges
Tawfeeq was arrested after he picked up a woman in June of 2017. The woman alleges that Tawfeeq made unwanted sexual advances and asked her if she wanted to be a prostitute. During the ride, Tawfeeq turned off his Uber app and sexually assaulted her in a parking lot.
Prosecutors had initially asked the court to impose an eight-year sentence, but the judge handed down a five-year sentence for those charges.
Tawfeeq now faces charges for harassment of a witness. Tawfeeq was also charged with domestic battery on unrelated charges.
Despite the fact that Tawfeeq maintained his innocence and that his attorney claimed that the complainant’s testimony was not credible, prosecutors had a recording of a conversation between Tawfeeq and the woman he assaulted. When the woman asked Tawfeeq why he sexually assaulted her, Tawfeeq said he did not know why he did it, that it was a crazy moment, and very stupid. That is tantamount to a confession.
Examining the Witness Intimidation Charges
The witness intimidation trial does not appear to look any more favorable for Tawfeeq than his sexual assault trial. The prosecution will bring evidence of an initial witness who claimed that Tawfeeq propositioned him to commit a kidnapping for hire for the express purpose of silencing a witness against him.
A second witness may have been a plant for law enforcement to catch Tawfeeq in the act. While the article does not expressly say this, the offer of money to perform the kidnapping is evidence of the crime itself. So, it is likely that Tawfeeq will face two witnesses, one who he asked to perform the crime and ended up snitching on him, and another who he offered to pay to kidnap and threaten the woman.
These additional charges will likely see Tawfeeq convicted again adding some more years to his prison sentence.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney
If you are charged with a sex crime in the Chicago area, then you need an attorney who will ensure that you are given the due process that you deserve. David Freidberg has represented those accused of sex crimes before and can help you build your defense to the charges. Call us at (312) 560-7100 to set up an appointment today.
