Angela Lipps sues Fargo for $10M after wrongful arrest

Angela Lipps, a 50-year-old woman from Tennessee, has filed a $10 million federal lawsuit against the City of Fargo and a former detective following her wrongful imprisonment. The case stems from a bank fraud investigation in North Dakota where facial recognition software incorrectly identified Lipps as a suspect using fraudulent identification.

Lipps was arrested at gunpoint by U.S. Marshals in Tennessee in July 2025 and spent approximately six months in custody, including 108 days in a Tennessee jail before being extradited to North Dakota. She faced eight felony charges, including theft and unauthorized use of personal identification. The charges were eventually dismissed on December 24, 2025, after her attorney provided bank records proving she was in Tennessee, over 1,000 miles away, at the time of the crimes.

The lawsuit alleges civil rights violations, false arrest, and malicious prosecution, noting that Lipps lost her home, vehicle, and personal property during her incarceration. Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski previously acknowledged errors in the investigation and stated that the department has since updated its protocols regarding the use of facial recognition technology.