Angela Lipps sues Fargo over wrongful arrest linked to AI facial recognition

Angela Lipps, a 50-year-old woman from Tennessee, has filed a $10 million federal lawsuit against the City of Fargo and Detective Lucas Heck following her wrongful arrest and six-month imprisonment. The lawsuit alleges that police improperly relied on AI facial recognition technology as the sole basis for her arrest in connection with bank thefts in North Dakota.

According to the complaint, an investigator used facial recognition software that identified a social media photo of Lipps as a potential match for a suspect. Lipps, who had never been to North Dakota, was arrested in July 2025 while babysitting in Tennessee and was subsequently detained for several months. The charges were eventually dropped after Lipps provided bank records proving she was in Tennessee during the time of the alleged crimes.

The lawsuit cites violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, including unlawful seizure, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution. Lipps claims the arrest caused significant trauma and resulted in the loss of her residence, vehicle, and personal property during her absence.