Angela Lipps, a 50-year-old Tennessee grandmother, spent over five months behind bars after artificial intelligence facial recognition technology wrongly linked her to bank fraud crimes committed in North Dakota—a state she says she had never visited before her forced extradition.

How the Misidentification Occurred

Fargo police investigating multiple bank fraud cases in early 2025 relied on facial recognition technology from a neighboring agency to identify suspects. West Fargo Police Department used Clearview AI, a controversial startup that maintains a database of billions of photos scraped from social media and internet sources. The system identified Lipps as a potential suspect with similar features to the actual perpetrator. A North Dakota judge signed an arrest warrant on July 1, 2025, and Lipps was taken into custody in Tennessee two weeks later on July 14.

Lipps remained in a Tennessee jail for over three months before being extradited to North Dakota in October. She faced multiple charges including felony theft and unauthorized use of personal identifying information. During her terrifying first airplane ride as a prisoner, Lipps described feeling exhausted and humiliated by the ordeal. Once in Fargo, her attorney obtained bank records proving she was in Tennessee when the crimes occurred, ultimately leading to her release.

Police Department Admits Errors

Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski acknowledged errors in the case during a Tuesday news conference, revealing that West Fargo police had purchased their own AI facial recognition system without coordination at the executive level. Zibolski stated his department would not have allowed the technology to be used and has since prohibited its use. West Fargo police confirmed they forwarded the AI-generated report to Fargo investigators but noted they lacked sufficient evidence to file charges themselves in their own jurisdiction.

Questions About Technology and Due Process

This case highlights growing concerns about law enforcement’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools without adequate safeguards or oversight. While police departments pledged operational changes, they stopped short of issuing a direct apology to Lipps. The incident raises fundamental questions about constitutional protections against wrongful arrest and the standards required before depriving Americans of their liberty. A verified fundraising campaign has been established to help Lipps recover from the financial and emotional toll of her wrongful incarceration.