A North Carolina woman at the center of a high-profile federal lawsuit against Uber—alleging sexual harassment by an independent contractor driver—has a lengthy criminal history spanning a decade and a half, including a two-year prison sentence, violent behavior toward authorities, and court-ordered restrictions preventing her from being alone with her child.
Brianna Leigh Mensing, 30, an ex-convict who in recent years has been determined indigent by the Wake County court system, is the lead plaintiff in a key case among several lawsuits against rideshare giant Uber Technologies Inc. alleging sexual assault by drivers.
Mensing argues Uber should be held responsible, possibly for millions of dollars in damages, claiming an Uber driver briefly touched her thigh and made suggestive comments during a 2019 ride, an allegation the driver denies.
The claim was made during a period when Mensing was facing multiple arrests and had lost custody of her young child.
Mensing’s case focuses on whether Uber can be held accountable under a “common carrier” duty to provide safe transportation. Uber argues it is not liable because its drivers are independent contractors, not employees.
The trial, which began on April 13, follows a similar case in February where a jury awarded $8.5 million to a plaintiff in Arizona. It is expected to last about nine days.
Court records reveal Mensing is currently awaiting trial for an August 2025 arrest on charges of felony methamphetamine possession and three syringes. A hearing is scheduled in that case for May 2026.
The case was mentioned in a filing to modify her custody agreement with the father of her nine-year-old son, with whom she is not allowed unsupervised contact. She previously lost custody of the boy to her parents.
Mensing’s extensive criminal history in North Carolina dates back to 2011, when, at age 15, she was arrested in Wake County for disorderly conduct and fighting. Both charges were later dismissed.
In 2012, she faced additional misdemeanor charges in Franklin County, including assault on a government employee, second-degree trespassing and disorderly conduct. The case was resolved through a deferred program requiring conditions such as community service and anger management classes. Mensing still owes the county $430 in that case.
In 2013, Mensing saw her first arrest for driving under the influence and faced additional charges for underage drinking, marijuana possession, reckless driving and drug paraphernalia possession after a traffic stop in Youngsville. Court records show a breath test reading of 0.09, resulting in a conviction for impaired driving. She was sentenced to 60 days of community service, probation and required treatment.
In November 2015, Mensing was charged with driving while her license was revoked due to a prior impaired driving case.
In March 2016, she was charged with driving without a license, a case later dismissed.
In July 2016, Mensing was convicted in Wake County for driving with a revoked license along with additional traffic violations from the same incident.
In May 2018, Mensing was arrested by the Youngsville Police Department and charged with simple assault. The charge was later dismissed.
In June 2018, Mensing was charged with driving while under the influence for a second time, and records show that she refused a breath test. She later pleaded guilty in May 2019 and received supervised probation and treatment-related conditions.
In October 2018, she was cited for reckless driving and crossing the center line.
In December 2018, she was arrested by the Franklinton Police Department for communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system. Additional charges from the same incident included misconduct while in custody, such as assaulting a government employee and throwing objects or substances at an employee.
The case resulted in a conviction on the assault charge, with court-ordered conditions stating she must “obtain a substance abuse assessment” and “enroll in anger management and complete recommended treatment.”
She still owes $792 in that case.
In September 2019, Mensing was charged with defrauding a drug or alcohol screening test and later pleaded guilty in November 2022. Records show an active jail sentence of 30 days, with credit for 186 days already served. Court costs were waived due to her being named an “indigent.”
In August 2020, she was again charged with traffic violations, including failing to maintain lane control and driving while her license was revoked for a previous impairment offense.
In early 2022, she faced additional alcohol-related infractions, including possessing an open container in a vehicle in February and consuming alcohol in public in April.
In August 2022, Mensing was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, resisting an officer and other traffic violations. She later pleaded guilty. Court records show she was sentenced to 24 months in prison, with credit for 86 days already served. She still owes $891 in that case.
A related filing shows she was confined in the Greene County Detention Center facility on Nov. 7, 2022 which sought her transfer to a state facility, stating she “the defendant exhibits violently aggressive behavior that cannot be contained and warrants a higher level of supervision.”
Alongside her criminal cases, Mensing has been involved in an ongoing custody case since 2019, when her parents sought custody of her young son.
A January 2025 custody order granted shared authority to the child’s father while restricting Mensing to supervised visitation. The order also explicitly prohibited her from having unsupervised contact with her son, citing concerns about her stability and parental fitness explicitly requiring that she “shall not have (her son) unsupervised.”
A November 2025 filing in the custody case sought further changes, alleging violations of those conditions and citing additional legal issues, including the 2025 felony drug charge for possession of methamphetamine and syringes that remains pending.
