Plea deal for woman who pepper-sprayed Muslim Uber driver in NYC

A 23-year-old woman who attacked a Muslim Uber driver with pepper spray as he began to pray has pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment, court records show.

Jennifer Guilbeault, of Northbridge, Massachusetts, reached a plea agreement with Manhattan prosecutors that will spare her jail time if she completes a series of requirements, including community service, therapy, and anti-bias education.

The incident occurred in July of last year, when Guilbeault and a friend were passengers in Shohel Mahmud’s car. Mahmud, 45, was driving near East 66th Street and Lexington Avenue when he briefly paused at a red light and began praying in Arabic. That’s when, prosecutors say, Guilbeault abruptly moved forward and sprayed him in the face with a chemical irritant.

A dashcam video from the vehicle captured Mahmud’s cries of pain and Guilbeault shouting, “Get him out!” The other passenger, stunned by the attack, can be heard repeatedly questioning Guilbeault’s actions: “Jen, what the f--k are you doing?”

Speaking to reporters after the attack, Mahmud said Guilbeault made a racially charged remark, saying “He’s brown,” though prosecutors later said the recording was not clear enough to confirm that statement. Still, Mahmud has remained consistent in his account.

Despite the traumatic experience, Mahmud said he chose to forgive his attacker. “I believe in the Day of Judgment. If I forgive her, maybe God will forgive me,” said the father of three from Queens. “She’s almost the same age as my daughter.”

Guilbeault was originally charged with hate crimes, though those charges were later dropped as part of the plea agreement. Prosecutors said her lack of a prior criminal record, her participation in counseling programs, and her expressions of remorse were all taken into consideration.

Under the deal approved by Judge Laura Ward, Guilbeault must complete 100 hours of community service and continue participating in therapy and substance abuse treatment. If she fulfills all the conditions within a year, she will be allowed to reduce her charge to a non-criminal violation of second-degree harassment.

Guilbeault, who had recently begun a public relations job on Long Island at the time of the attack, was fired following the incident.

Her attorney, Michael Alber, previously maintained that the attack was not racially or religiously motivated. In a past statement, he urged the public not to rush to judgment and said the full context of the incident needed to be considered.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office initially filed hate crime charges, said the city remains committed to combating bias-based violence. “Our hate crimes unit will continue to investigate and prosecute cases like this, while also supporting victims and engaging the community.”