A Lyft ride from Canton to Marietta ended with a passenger accused of groping his driver, threatening to kill a police officer and his family, and then pulling cash from his pocket to try to buy his way out of arrest. Marietta police arrested 36-year-old Latrell Wilbert early on August 1 outside the Marietta Diner, and he now faces charges including sexual battery, bribery, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, and giving a false name and birth date.
According to arrest warrants cited by WSB-TV, Wilbert repeatedly told the driver he had a firearm while she drove him toward the diner off Cobb Parkway, then rubbed her neck and reached under her arm to grab her breast while she was behind the wheel. He also allegedly offered her money to come inside the diner with him, an offer she declined. Once he was dropped off, the driver called 911 from outside the restaurant, according to the warrants, setting the arrest in motion.
Marietta officers happened to already be at the 24-hour diner responding to a separate disturbance, in which an unruly customer had been handing out cash to restaurant employees and refused to leave the premises, per the warrants reviewed by WSB-TV. That customer was Wilbert. As officers moved to detain him, warrants say he cursed them out, gave a fake name and birthday, and pulled cash from his pocket, telling officers, “Here, so I can walk off.”
An $8,000 Bribe and a Death Threat
Local law enforcement reports cited by Crime Watch Atlanta put the amount of cash Wilbert was carrying at more than $8,000 when he offered it to responding officers in an apparent attempt to buy his freedom. Warrants also allege Wilbert threatened to murder an officer and the officer's family during the confrontation. Marietta Police Department spokesman Chuck McPhilamy summed up the scene to reporters, saying, “Saturday morning couldn't have ended stranger if you had written a script for a movie.”
Under Georgia law, offering money or anything of value to influence a law enforcement officer performing an official act is felony bribery under Georgia Code § 16-10-2, punishable by one to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Threatening to murder a police officer or their family is a felony terroristic threat under Georgia Code § 16-11-37, carrying one to five years in prison, while non-consensual touching of an adult's intimate parts is classified as sexual battery, a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature punishable by up to 12 months in jail under O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22.1, per Justia Law.
Wilbert Was Already on Probation
Court records reviewed by the same outlet indicate Wilbert was actively serving a probation sentence at the time of his arrest, stemming from an April 2023 negotiated guilty plea in Cobb County Superior Court to aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He received a 10-year sentence with the balance on probation. Jail records also show Wilbert was arrested earlier this year in neighboring Fulton County on charges including possession of marijuana, public drunkenness, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Wilbert remains without bond at the Cobb County Jail, having been booked following the incident. His existing probation status means any new felony or misdemeanor conviction could trigger revocation and additional prison time on top of whatever penalties result from the Marietta charges.
Lyft Responds, Bans Rider Permanently
A Lyft spokesperson described the alleged behavior as reprehensible and said the company has permanently banned Wilbert from the platform. Lyft also said it reached out to the driver to offer support and stands ready to assist law enforcement with its investigation. The company has highlighted its driver safety tools, which include mandatory rider verification, 24/7 phone and text safety team support, and an in-app 911 button that connects drivers directly with local emergency dispatchers.
The Marietta Diner, founded in 1995 by restaurateur Gus Tselios, is a well-known 24-hour landmark at 306 Cobb Parkway South, recognizable for its chrome exterior and broad menu and previously featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. This is not the first time a metro Atlanta Lyft driver has landed in a frightening situation with a passenger this year — Hoodline previously reported on a rideshare turned X-rated incident involving a Georgia State freshman, part of a broader pattern of scrutiny around passenger conduct toward metro Atlanta rideshare drivers.
