Singer Akon, 52, whose real name is Aliaune Badara Thiam, was arrested last week in metro Atlanta after police identified his Tesla truck in connection with an active warrant, according to the Chamblee Police Department.
Jail records show Thiam was taken into custody and booked at DeKalb County Jail just after 12:30 p.m., and released approximately six hours later.
According to the police report, officers responded around 11 a.m. to a Flock camera alert for a white 2024 Tesla Cybertruck wanted by the Roswell Police Department. The vehicle was located at Tint World on Chamblee Dunwoody Road, with a man standing nearby matching the registered owner’s description.
Officers confirmed the man’s identity through his driver’s license photo and informed him of the active warrant. Thiam reportedly remained calm and acknowledged the warrant. He was handcuffed, patted down, and detained while officers verified the warrant with Roswell police. No weapons or contraband were found during a search.
Akon’s Cybertruck, reportedly at Tint World for service, was not impounded. He was initially taken to DeKalb County Jail, then transported to Smyrna City Jail and booked on a failure to appear charge for a suspended driver’s license.
Records from the Roswell Police Department indicate the November arrest traces back to an incident on September 10, when Thiam was stranded in his Cybertruck after the battery died on Holcomb Bridge Road. Officers found the truck unregistered with valid insurance and Thiam driving on a license suspended since January 2023. He was cited for driving with a suspended license and released. Police also seized an illegal vape from the vehicle.
Akon, a Grammy-nominated singer, is known for hits including “Locked Up,” “Smack That,” “Soul Survivor,” and “Lonely,” as well as his philanthropic and music ventures in Africa.
This is not his first legal issue. In 1998, he spent several months in jail on car theft charges that were later dropped, and in 2008 he pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment after throwing a teenager off a stage in New York, receiving community service and a fine.
Akon is currently on tour in India, performing in Delhi on November 9, Bengaluru on November 14, and Mumbai on November 16. He is scheduled to perform in Las Vegas on January 3, 2026.
