Unfit driver : According to Houston city codes - Duncan Burton should not have been driving because of a prior drugs conviction . A Houston Uber driver arrested and charged last week with sexually assaulting a female passenger was granted approval to drive for the car service despite being a convicted cocaine dealer . Duncan Burton , 57 , was released in November 2012 after 14-years behind bars but was allowed to work for Uber despite city controls prohibiting drug felons driving cabs . Burton was taken into custody on Wednesday on one count of sexual assault and if convicted will face a maximum sentence of 20 years . Uber spokeswoman , Debbee Hancock said on Monday that Burton had passed all the firms background checks before they allowed him to work under their name . However , according to Uber 's official background check policy they only review sentences passed down up to seven years ago . That means because Burton was sentence 14-years ago , his drug offense did not register or raise a red flag . Indeed , Burton served 14 years of an 18 year sentence for trying to distribute five kilos or more of cocaine according to the US Bureau of Prisons . That information is readily available online by typing in his name . He was convicted in Houston and served time in Louisana and Georgia before his 2012 release which was commuted because of good behavior . According to Houston regulations someone with a drug conviction is not eligible for a city permit to drive cabs . However , they could appeal and still receive one . Burton did not have a city permit to drive a cab and had never applied for an exemption . Uber has poached Facebook 's security chief Joe Sullivan in an attempt to double down on rapidly escalating safety concerns . The $ 40 billion taxi service has been plagued by serious accusations of failing to vet its drivers . Lawsuits have been brought against Uber in San Francisco and Los Angeles . A New Delhi driver was accused of raping a passenger in December . This week in Denver , a driver tried and failed to break into a passenger 's home . And in London , a woman was allegedly asked to perform oral sex on her driver . Lifeline ? Joe Sullivan , 46 , will leave his role as Facebook 's security chief to help Uber defend safety concerns . These claims , among others , follow a data leak last May , which saw the details of 50,000 current and former drivers released into the public domain . It is hoped Sullivan , the first federal prosecutor to specialize in high-technology crime , can protect Uber from potentially crippling ramifications . The firm 's first security chief , he brings with him an extensive portfolio of experience in cyber security and privacy . He spent two decades tackling cyber crime security in the private and public sector before joining the Justice Department . Cases included child protection , bank privacy , and digital strands of 9/11 investigations . Since , he has headed up the security departments at eBay , PayPal , and Facebook . Though his experience lies in digital protection , Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has also entrusted the 46-year-old with tackling physical security . Sullivan 's role will involve liaising with city and state governments around the world as the firm rapidly expands . Announcing the hire in a blog post on Thursday Kalanick wrote : 'We are both in cyberspace and on city streets all at once ; a bridge between bits and atoms . 'And as we get into tens of millions of rides a week , we continue to challenge ourselves to do even better when it comes to safety and data security . ' Looking forward : The $ 40 billion firm 's CEO Travis Kalanick announced the news in a blog post on Friday . He added : 'This is a challenge where I get to take what makes Silicon Valley special and apply it to a product that directly impacts people 's lives everyday as they move around the world 's cities . ' There were three high-profile assault cases involving Uber drivers in December 2014 . An Indian woman said her driver raped her in New Delhi , leading to outcries and a temporary ban of Uber in that city . It came days after a driver was charged in Boston with raping a young woman . The same week , a woman in London revealed that she was offered £20 credit from Uber after one of its drivers allegedly sexually harassed her during a cab ride . Last week in Denver an UberX driver was arrested after he allegedly dropped a passenger off at the airport before turning around , driving back to her house , and trying to break in . The cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles are both suing the company for 'misleading the public ' by failing to conduct thorough backgrounds checks .
jack Burton , 57 , was charged last year with rape in Houston , Texas . Released from jail in 2012 after serving 14-years of an suspended sentence .