An immigrant who entered the country illegally and worked as a rideshare driver was arrested in Maryland on rape charges involving a teenage girl, as authorities warn of other potential victims after it was revealed he was arrested for similar crimes in New York. 

Abdoulaye Dia, 36, a rideshare driver with the company Empower, was arrested Wednesday after a teenage girl reported he raped her in a parking lot the day before, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. 

The girl, whose age was not disclosed but is under 18, told officers at a local hospital that the driver took her to a lot in Silver Spring, which is outside of Washington, DC, and assaulted her. 

Officers identified him through information obtained from the rideshare app and arrested him nearby in Lanham. 

'Based on the circumstances of the investigation, detectives are concerned there may be other victims,' the department said. 

Dia has been charged with first-degree rape, kidnapping, second-degree assault and third-degree sex offense.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later told Fox News that Dia is a citizen of Guinea and was arrested in New York in June for similar charges. 

The department added that Dia entered the US illegally through Arizona in December of 2023. 

In that case, Dia was charged with sexual abuse by forcible compulsion, forcible touching of the sexual/intimate parts of another person, injuring a child under 17 and sexual abuse without consent. 

The case records have not been made public due to the nature of the charges. A spokesperson from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office told local ABC affiliate WJLA that their office requested Dia be held on bond, but a judge ordered him out on supervised release. 

Empower said in a statement to the Daily Mail that the company does not employ or contract drivers. 

'Drivers using our software are our customers. They set their own rates and get 100% of their fares and pay Empower for access to our software,' the statement said. 

Empower added that they conducted a background check, sex offender check, driving record check, Social Security trace and global watchlist search using the same company that Uber and Lyft do on Dia on July 16, but no incidents came up. 

'The Montgomery County Police Department reached out to Empower about this incident. Empower, as is our policy, asked law enforcement what Empower could do to assist their investigation and immediately provided all information requested,' the company said. 

Empower is a rideshare alternative to Uber and Lyft where drivers set their own rates and pocket 100 percent of the fare. 

The app is available in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte Metro, Dallas-Fort Worth, DC Metro, Houston, New York City, Tampa, Orlando and Greensboro, North Carolina. 

Empower does not offer services to minors, according to their website. Uber allows teens ages 13-17 to ride without a guardian with permission in select cities. Lyft also allows unaccompanied minors under Lyft Teen rides. 

The circumstances that led to the alleged assault in Maryland have not been shared. Dia appeared in court on Thursday and was ordered to remain behind bars without bail, according to records. 

It does not appear that he has retained an attorney or entered a plea in the charges against him. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not indicated whether it will issue a detainer against Dia or deport him. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to ICE, DHS and the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office for comment and more information.