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Wrongfully Jailed: Facial Recognition Error Leads to 5 Months in Prison
31 Mar
Summary
- Angela Lipps was imprisoned for over five months due to a facial recognition error.
- She had never visited North Dakota before her arrest in Tennessee.
- Fargo police chief acknowledged 'missteps' but did not apologize directly.
A woman identified as Angela Lipps endured over five months of incarceration after being erroneously connected to a bank fraud case in North Dakota through facial recognition technology. Ms. Lipps maintained she had never visited North Dakota prior to her arrest in Tennessee, her home state. The incident began in April and May of 2025 when Fargo police investigated bank fraud cases where a woman used a fake ID.
Investigators used facial recognition software, which identified a potential suspect matching Ms. Lipps's features. Law enforcement then compared her social media and driver's license photos, concluding she appeared to be the suspect. Based on this, Ms. Lipps was charged with felonies and an arrest warrant was issued for nationwide extradition.
She was arrested in July 2025 while babysitting. Ms. Lipps was held in Tennessee before being transferred to Fargo in October 2025. In December 2025, charges were dismissed, and she was released. The Fargo police chief acknowledged "missteps" in the case and stated the department has updated its artificial intelligence policy, though he did not issue a direct apology to Ms. Lipps, who is planning to sue.
