Egyptian National Admitted via Diversity Visa Program Charged with Aggravated Rape of Minor in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Authorities in Nashville have charged an Egyptian national, who entered the United States through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, with the aggravated rape of a 16-year-old girl. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Mena Mohsen Farez Awad, allegedly assaulted the minor while she was sleeping in her bed on New Year’s Eve.
According to the arrest affidavit, the incident occurred on December 31, 2025, in a Nashville apartment. The victim told investigators she was asleep next to her nephew when she awoke to find a stranger, later identified as Awad, in her room. Police report that Awad was armed with a handgun tucked into his waistband during the assault. The affidavit details that the teenager eventually managed to break free, grab her nephew, and convince the assailant to leave by promising not to report the attack. Once he fled, she immediately contacted her sister, who notified law enforcement.
Following a two-week manhunt, Awad was located and arrested on January 16, 2026, at a hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. He was subsequently extradited to Tennessee, where he faces multiple felony charges, including aggravated rape with a weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated burglary.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed that it lodged an immigration detainer against Awad following his arrest. DHS officials stated that Awad originally entered the country in 2017 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery. This program, administered by the Department of State, provides up to 50,000 immigrant visas annually to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Applicants are selected through a randomized computer drawing and must meet specific education or work experience requirements, as well as pass security vetting before being granted entry.
While the charges have drawn sharp criticism of the visa program from some officials, legal experts caution that an arrest and indictment are not evidence of guilt. Under the U.S. legal system, Awad is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. His defense team has not yet released a public statement regarding the specific allegations. Furthermore, immigration advocates frequently point out that individual criminal cases should not necessarily be used to characterize the millions of law-abiding immigrants who have entered through the Diversity Visa program over the last three decades.
Awad remains in custody as legal proceedings commence in Shelby County. The investigation is ongoing, with local prosecutors preparing to present the evidence gathered from the scene and the subsequent multi-state tracking operation.
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