31.03.2026 02:00
Fifty-year-old Angela Lipps, living in the state of Tennessee, spent 108 days in jail due to a wrongful match by an artificial intelligence-based facial recognition system for a crime committed in a state she had never visited. As of March 2026, it was revealed that Lipps had initiated a legal battle, having lost her home, job, and health due to the law enforcement agencies' "overreliance" on the technology and their "negligence."
The United States is discussing one of the biggest judicial errors in recent years. Angela Lipps, a grandmother of five from Tennessee, was arrested on charges of "bank fraud" due to a faulty facial recognition match and spent months in jail. By March 2026, Lipps, who initiated a legal battle, had lost her home, job, and health.
ARRESTED AS THE PERPETRATOR OF THE INCIDENT IN NORTH DAKOTA
According to a report by The People, the events began in April 2025 with bank frauds committed using a fake identity in North Dakota.
Images of the suspect withdrawing thousands of dollars from accounts using a fake U.S. Army ID were recorded by security cameras.
The police uploaded the security camera footage to an artificial intelligence system called Clearview AI. The system identified Angela Lipps, who had no connection to the crime scene, as a suspect. On July 14, 2025, federal agents conducted an armed raid on Lipps' home while the 50-year-old was taking care of her four young grandchildren. The unfortunate woman, handcuffed as a fugitive of a crime committed in a state she had never visited, was imprisoned without bail.
SERVED MORE THAN 3 MONTHS IN JAIL
Lipps was held in jails in Tennessee and North Dakota for 108 days. At the end of October, evidence presented by her lawyers revealed the scandal: Lipps was shopping 1,500 miles away in Tennessee at the time the crime was committed.
When it was officially proven that the unfortunate woman's social security payments were received from her own area, the case collapsed within minutes and the charges were dropped.
"CHAIN OF ERRORS" ADMITTED
Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski made a painful admission in a statement: "There was an over-reliance on artificial intelligence, and sufficient human verification was not conducted."
It was revealed that even the most basic police steps, such as checking Lipps' travel records, were overlooked. However, despite this admission, no official apology was given to Lipps.
BECAME A VICTIM OF TECHNOLOGY
For Angela Lipps, who regained her freedom on December 25, 2025, nothing is the same anymore. While in prison, she lost her home and car, lost her job, and lost her dog. She also began to experience serious health issues.
THE 9TH CASE RECORDED
This case became the 9th wrongful arrest recorded in the U.S. due to facial recognition errors. Lipps' lawyers are preparing to file a heavy compensation and human rights lawsuit to prove how unchecked technology can ruin a life.