American-Senegalese singer and music producer Akon found himself in legal trouble last week after being arrested in Georgia on an outstanding bench warrant related to a suspended driver’s license.
According to legal documents , the arrest stemmed from a September incident involving the “Locked Up” crooner, whose real name is Aliaune Thiam. Police say Akon was behind the wheel of a Tesla Cybertruck that had broken down in the middle of a Georgia roadway. Responding officers reportedly stopped to assist and soon discovered that his driver’s license had been suspended due to a failure to appear in court dating back to January 2023.
Authorities said Akon was cited at the time for driving with a suspended license and released at the scene after his vehicle was towed. The police report also noted that an “illegal vape” found in the center console of the Cybertruck was confiscated and later destroyed.
However, matters took a turn on November 7, when Akon was arrested on a bench warrant related to the earlier citation. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the artist was taken into custody by Chamblee police on an out-of-county warrant. He was booked and released within six hours, officials said.
While Akon did pose for a mugshot—wearing a black hoodie and maintaining a neutral expression—details surrounding the precise reason for the arrest warrant remain unclear.
Representatives for Akon have yet to issue an official statement, though the musician, who rose to fame with hits like “Smack That” and “Locked Up”, appears to have been swiftly freed pending further legal proceedings.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Akon was briefly jailed in Georgia after a bench warrant was issued over a suspended license tied to a prior traffic violation, but he was released within hours pending further clarification on the case.
