Alvin Bragg pictured leaning into a New York City taxi in an editorial illustration.
By Jersey Joe | Host of Reaver of Common Sense on SHR Media.
An Algerian national accused of assaulting multiple female passengers while working as a New York City taxi driver is back behind the wheel after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg approved a plea deal that erased the most serious charges and avoided jail time entirely.
According to reporting from the New York Post, 34 year old Mohammed Bellebia was arrested in December 2024 after two separate late night incidents in which female riders said he touched them without consent, groped them, and in one case attempted to remove a woman’s underwear. Both assaults allegedly took place inside his yellow cab minivan during 2 a.m. fares.
The First Alleged Assault
The first reported victim, 23 year old Maile Bartow, entered Bellebia’s taxi after a night out with friends in November 2024. What should have been a short ride home turned into a nightmare. Bartow says Bellebia began touching her leg, ignored multiple pleas to stop, and then groped her genitals. She took a photo during the incident but says the driver snatched her phone and deleted the images. She eventually recorded herself begging him to stop.
Bartow feared she might be kidnapped or killed. After Bellebia finally let her out, she called another ride service and reported the assault to police the next morning. She also filed a civil lawsuit against the driver and his employer, a company ironically named Tranquil Taxi.
The Second Alleged Assault
A month later, in December, Bellebia allegedly assaulted another woman in a similar situation. A law enforcement source told the Post that Bellebia repeatedly touched the 33 year old victim’s leg and tried to remove her underwear during another 2 a.m. fare. There was no camera or partition in the vehicle.
He was arrested on December 19 and charged with forcible touching and sexual abuse, both misdemeanors that could have led to probation or up to one year in jail.
Bragg’s Office Downgrades the Case
Instead of pursuing the charges, DA Alvin Bragg’s office allowed Bellebia to plead guilty in March to disorderly conduct. He received a conditional discharge. As long as he avoids legal trouble, he faces no jail time.
The second case has since been sealed with no explanation.
Bartow says she was never informed of the second woman or the plea deal. She only discovered what happened after repeatedly calling the district attorney’s office for updates.
“He’s back on the road driving the exact same taxi cab,” she told the Post. “I wasn’t looped in at all.”
Bellebia’s taxi license was suspended after his arrest but reinstated in March.
The #MeToo Movement Has Gone Silent
The Manhattan DA’s office issued a statement acknowledging poor communication with the victim. But the bigger question lingers. What ever happened to the #MeToo mantra of believe every woman. Was that standard only applied when accusations could be used as a political weapon against conservatives. Because when the suspect is a migrant taxi driver operating under Alvin Bragg’s watch, the outrage suddenly disappears.
A Pattern in Manhattan
This case fits a growing pattern in Bragg’s jurisdiction where violent offenders, repeat offenders, and sexual predators regularly receive downgraded charges, sweetheart deals, and quick releases. Yet victims are left in the dark while the public faces renewed risk.
The Post reports that Bellebia hung up on reporters when asked if he is in the United States illegally. A translator assisting him declined to provide further details.
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Editorial Closure
Manhattan’s justice system has become a revolving door where political optics matter more than public safety. Victims are sidelined. Predators are cut loose. And the people responsible hide behind press statements apologizing for “communication issues” while doing nothing to protect the very communities they claim to serve.
Accountability demands that these cases be handled with transparency and consequences that match the crime. When prosecutors fail to do that, trust collapses. Safety collapses. And the victims pay the price.
Strong communities require strong justice. New York got neither here.
Sources
By Jersey Joe | Host of Reaver of Common Sense on SHR Media
(All information verified through public records, campaign announcements, and reporting from the actual outlets, public records, or documents cited in the article.)
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