Florida, May 23, 2025 – Haitian journalist Wadson Désir, 46, was released on bail this Friday afternoon following his arrest two days earlier on charges of harassment and unlawful restraint of a female passenger. His release was made possible after family members posted bail, according to information shared by Télégramme360.
Désir, who was working as a contract driver for Lyft, allegedly held a female passenger against her will in his vehicle in Homestead, Florida. According to the arrest report obtained by NBC6, he reportedly demanded the victim’s phone, locked the car doors, entered his personal contact information into her device, and only then unlocked the vehicle to let her out. A few days later, he allegedly returned to her workplace and waved his phone in her direction — an act interpreted as a further form of harassment.
The case has drawn media attention in the U.S., particularly as it comes amid growing scrutiny of ride-share platforms like Uber and Lyft regarding their handling of sexual harassment cases. According to CNN, Uber reported over 6,000 incidents of sexual assault within two years, including 464 cases of rape. Lyft, during the same period, recorded over 4,000 such cases.
Following his arrest, all of Désir’s accounts on ride-share platforms were deactivated, in accordance with company policy. Even if he is eventually cleared of all charges, returning to work on these platforms is considered unlikely. He also faces possible registration as a sex offender in motor vehicle databases across all U.S. states — a record that is notoriously difficult to remove, even in cases of proven innocence.
If found guilty, Désir could face up to five years in prison, a fine exceeding $5,000, and even deportation from the United States, especially under the aggressive immigration enforcement policies currently in effect under the Trump administration.
The investigation is ongoing. Wadson Désir remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sources: Télégramme360, NBC6, CNN, Miami-Dade Police Department
