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Updated 14 November, 2025
Akon spent six hours behind bars in DeKalb County, Georgia, last week after police arrested him on an outstanding warrant — a situation his team says stemmed from a clerical mistake rather than criminal wrongdoing.
The 52-year-old singer, best known for his 2004 breakout hit “Locked Up,” was taken into custody by the Chamblee Police Department on Friday morning. Jail records show he was booked, photographed in a black hoodie, and later released that same afternoon.
Police were alerted to Akon’s location after Flock security cameras flagged a vehicle connected to an individual with an out-of-county warrant. The alert pinged while his car was parked at Tint World, an auto styling shop where Akon had reportedly dropped off the vehicle.
According to the arrest report obtained by The Independent, Akon remained calm and cooperative throughout the encounter, telling officers he already knew about the outstanding warrant tied to a previous incident in Roswell, Georgia.
A Tesla Cybertruck similar to the one Akon was driving when police discovered his suspended license in Roswell, Georgia.
Roswell Police say the warrant traces back to an episode in September 2025, when Akon became stranded roadside after the battery in his Tesla Cybertruck died. Officers who responded arranged to tow the vehicle — but soon discovered the singer was driving with a suspended license.
According to the incident report:
His license had been suspended for a failure to appear in January 2023
Officers issued a citation and confiscated his license
Police also seized an illegal vape found in the glove compartment
The warrant was later issued when the suspended-license violation remained unresolved in the system.
A representative for Akon told The Independent that the arrest “should have never happened.”
In the statement, the spokesperson explained that Akon had already taken care of the original suspension:
“Due to a clerical issue the suspended license should have never been escalated — it was paid but not properly entered into the system. This will be soon rectified in the courts in early December.”
Akon himself has not publicly addressed the arrest. Instead, he has continued posting as usual on social media — including a video shared Wednesday morning with the caption “It’s a beautiful day.”
Despite spending part of his Friday in jail, Akon has not paused his current schedule.
He is currently on tour in India, performing at several large-scale music festivals and arena shows.
The quick release and administrative nature of the warrant mean the incident is unlikely to affect his touring commitments, though it will require a court appearance next month.
Akon’s early career was shaped — and at times overshadowed — by a self-crafted narrative about his criminal past. For years, the Grammy-nominated artist claimed he had done significant prison time and even ran a car-theft ring before becoming famous.
But in 2008, The Smoking Gun published a detailed investigation showing that much of that story had been exaggerated or fabricated. According to the site, Akon had indeed been arrested multiple times, but the only felony conviction on record was a 1998 gun-possession case in New Jersey, for which he received three years’ probation.
The renewed headlines about his arrest have resurfaced those earlier controversies — though this most recent detention appears grounded in administrative errors rather than criminal behaviour.
The arrest comes during a turbulent period in Akon’s personal life.
In September 2025, his wife Tomeka Thiam filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage.
Court filings show:
Akon is seeking joint legal custody
He wants sole physical custody of their 17-year-old daughter
He is requesting spousal support
The father of nine has not spoken publicly about the divorce proceedings, which remain ongoing.
Akon became one of the defining voices of the early 2000s with chart-topping hits including:
“Locked Up”
“Smack That”
“Lonely”
“I Wanna Love You”
His influence expanded beyond music with philanthropic and entrepreneurial work, including:
Akon Lighting Africa, a solar-energy initiative across the continent
The launch of his cryptocurrency Akoin
Early plans for Akon City, a proposed smart city in Senegal (still in slow development)
His supporters online have largely expressed frustration with the arrest — calling it a “bureaucratic mess,” “embarrassing error,” or “waste of resources.”
He was detained because of an outstanding warrant issued in Roswell, Georgia, related to a suspended-license incident in September.
Around six hours before being released the same afternoon.
Flock security cameras flagged his vehicle at an auto shop, alerting police to the warrant.
He was stranded with a dead battery in his Tesla Cybertruck. During the stop, officers found he was driving with a suspended license and confiscated an illegal vape.
They call it a clerical mistake, claiming the underlying suspension had been resolved but not updated in the system.
Unlikely — he is currently touring in India and continues posting publicly without addressing the arrest.
