Latest

Facial recognition jails innocent grandmother, attorney says

Published

3 months ago

May 13, 2026

Angela Lipps says she had never been to North Dakota. She says she had never even been on an airplane. That didn’t stop the U.S. marshals from showing up at her home in Tennessee and arresting her.

Lipps, a 50-year-old grandmother of five from Elizabethton, Tennessee, was taken into custody in July 2025 in connection with a bank fraud case more than 1,000 miles away in Fargo, North Dakota. She was not released until around Christmas Eve, meaning she spent more than five months in custody before the case was dismissed.

Investigators had used facial recognition software to compare surveillance images from the bank fraud case with photos of Lipps from her driver’s license and social media. The result, according to her defense attorney, was a case that never should have gone this far.

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HOW SURVEILLANCE TECH LED POLICE TO ACCUSE THE WRONG PERSON

The case began with bank fraud reports in Fargo and nearby West Fargo. Police were looking for a suspect who allegedly used a false military ID to take money from accounts.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and used facial recognition technology to search for a possible match. Then-Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski has described the tool as “an AI function through the North Dakota State Intelligence Center.”

Jay Greenwood, the Fargo defense attorney appointed to represent Lipps, joined our “CyberGuy Report” podcast at CyberGuyPodcast.com to explain how a facial recognition lead helped set the case in motion. His warning was simple: police can use facial recognition as a tool, but they still need to verify what the technology claims. Greenwood said the images used in the case were not exactly crystal clear.

“They had security footage of some terribly placed security cameras from above,” Greenwood said. “And they had a couple of still images, poor still images from these cameras that they sent to a company to do facial recognition.”

That search pointed investigators to Lipps. Greenwood said detectives then looked at her social media pages and moved forward with the case. “They did not do any other investigation prior to her arrest in bringing her to North Dakota,” Greenwood said. Police then sought an arrest warrant. Lipps was arrested in Carter County, Tennessee, and held as a fugitive from justice.

Lipps says U.S. marshals arrested her at gunpoint while she was babysitting young children. She was taken to a local jail in Elizabethton, Tennessee, while she waited to be extradited to North Dakota.

Greenwood said Lipps told authorities from the beginning that she had never been to North Dakota. “She told them I’d never been to North Dakota. I’ve never been on an airplane,” Greenwood said. “She really doesn’t leave the 100 to 200 mile radius of Elizabethton ever.”

Still, Lipps remained in jail for months. Fargo Police Chief Travis Stefonowicz told CyberGuy that the department’s review found Lipps was arrested in Tennessee on July 14, 2025, and held on a probation violation.

“Tennessee authorities notified the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on October 20, 2025, that Ms. Lipps had a waiver of extradition to North Dakota and was available for transport to the Cass County Jail,” Stefonowicz said.

Stefonowicz said Fargo Police could not determine from available information why Lipps remained in Tennessee custody for as long as she did before being transported to North Dakota.

“We have been unable to determine based on available information if the length of time Ms. Lipps was in jail in Tennessee before being transported to North Dakota was due to serving time for a probation violation or if it was because she fought extradition,” Stefonowicz said.

Greenwood said she fought extradition and waited in Tennessee before she was taken to North Dakota around Halloween. “Gave her her first ever plane ticket, ever plane ride,” Greenwood said. “And she spent it in custody, flying to North Dakota.”

A woman who says she had never flown before got her first plane ride in custody, headed to fight charges in a state she says she had never visited.

Stefonowicz was appointed interim chief on March 30 after former Chief Dave Zibolski retired on March 27. Fargo Police said Zibolski’s retirement was family-related and unrelated to this case. Stefonowicz was officially selected as Fargo’s next police chief during the Fargo City Commission meeting on May 11.

In a statement to CyberGuy, Stefonowicz said the arrest warrant reflected that prosecutors and a judge had found probable cause.

“The Fargo Police Department takes the civil rights and due process of all individuals involved in our investigations very seriously. Regarding the case of Ms. Lipps, the issuance of an arrest warrant indicated that the Cass County State’s Attorney and a judge determined probable cause existed for the charges,” Stefonowicz said.

He said the charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled if additional investigation supports doing so.

“This remains an ongoing investigation, and we are still working to verify and corroborate information to determine, definitively, who was and was not involved in this home equity loan bank fraud scheme,” Stefonowicz said.

Fargo Police also clarified that the department does not own facial recognition technology or contract directly with vendors that provide it.

“However, there are state and national law enforcement intelligence centers that incorporate facial recognition technology and are used by agencies across the country, including in our state,” Stefonowicz said. “On occasion, FPD investigators may submit inquiries to those intelligence centers, in order to help generate leads through facial recognition for potential suspects or persons of interest in local investigations.”

That response adds an important caveat. Lipps’ defense says she was wrongly accused and later cleared by basic records. Fargo Police says the case remains open and investigators are still trying to determine who was involved.

Fargo Police also clarified that the department does not own facial recognition technology or contract directly with vendors that provide it.

That distinction matters. Fargo Police says it does not run facial recognition in-house, but investigators may still use outside intelligence centers to generate leads. That puts the focus back on what guardrails exist before those leads support an arrest.

AMAZON ADDS CONTROVERSIAL AI FACIAL RECOGNITION TO RING

Once Greenwood got involved, he started looking for proof of where Lipps had been during the alleged bank fraud. The answer came from everyday records. Her family sent bank records showing activity near her home in Tennessee during the same period Fargo authorities claimed she was in North Dakota.

The records showed her depositing Social Security checks and making local purchases. “She was in Elizabethton and the surrounding communities depositing her Social Security checks,” Greenwood said. “Buying Ubers, cigarettes, gas, all that stuff.”

Greenwood said he forwarded the records to the state’s attorney. After a police interview, the case was dismissed. Lipps was released on Christmas Eve.

Fargo Police gave CyberGuy a more detailed timeline. Stefonowicz said Lipps made her first court appearance in North Dakota on Oct. 31, 2025, but the detective assigned to the case did not learn she was in custody in North Dakota until Dec. 5.

“Because she had legal representation, attorney consent was required before our detectives could interview her,” Stefonowicz said. “An interview was first granted by Ms. Lipps’s defense attorney on December 19, 2025.”

After that interview, Stefonowicz said Fargo Police determined that further investigation was needed.

“On December 23, 2025, the FPD detective, the Cass County State’s Attorney and the presiding judge mutually agreed to dismiss the charges without prejudice to allow for additional investigation,” Stefonowicz said. “Ms. Lipps was subsequently released from the Cass County Jail on December 24, 2025.”

By then, she says the damage was already done. She says she lost her home, her car, her reputation and her dog while she was locked up.

Fargo Police said it conducted a comprehensive internal review after the case. Stefonowicz said former Chief Dave Zibolski addressed the investigation at a March 24 news conference.

“With respect to this case, we have conducted a comprehensive internal review,” Stefonowicz said. “During a news conference on March 24, former Chief of Police Dave Zibolski addressed areas where our initial investigation could have been more complete and emphasized that further work is required to fully understand who was and was not involved in this scheme.”

Fargo Police has since adopted a formal facial recognition technology policy. Stefonowicz said the department did not previously have a standalone policy because Fargo Police does not conduct facial recognition analysis, provide that service to other agencies or maintain in-house facial recognition technology.

“We have since adopted a formal policy for facial recognition technology (FRT) use for our agency,” Stefonowicz said.

He said the case prompted Fargo Police leadership to revisit that approach.

“This case has prompted FPD leadership to re-evaluate that approach related to having a specific FRT policy,” Stefonowicz said. “FPD Policy 610, which formally establishes parameters and expectations for the use of FRT, was published as of Wednesday, March 25.”

That policy change matters because it shows the case prompted Fargo Police to formalize how investigators may use facial recognition leads, even when the department does not run the technology itself.

Facial recognition can help generate leads. However, critics warn that it can also produce false matches, especially when image quality is poor or the system compares faces against massive databases.

Some systems pull from public photos online, including social media images and other public-facing photos. That means many people may appear in search databases without realizing it.

Greenwood said police need to treat the technology as one investigative tool, not a shortcut around basic detective work.

“I’ve told numerous people, like, it’s a tool,” Greenwood said. “It should be one of the tools that law enforcement can use.”

Then he explained what needs to happen next. “They’ve got to learn to use the other tools to verify what they’re being told by this machine,” Greenwood said.

That is the key issue. A facial recognition hit should push investigators to ask more questions. It should never end the conversation.

Angela Lipps is not the first person to say facial recognition helped put them in handcuffs. Other cases have involved people wrongfully arrested after software produced a mistaken match. Civil liberties groups have also warned that facial recognition systems can perform worse on some groups, including darker-skinned men and women.

That raises a serious question for every police department using this technology. What safeguards exist before a person gets arrested? A bad match on a screen can turn into a search warrant and jail time. For Lipps, that risk became painfully real.

9 ONLINE PRIVACY RISKS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT

Most people will never face anything like this. Still, the Lipps case shows how your digital footprint can follow you in ways you may never expect.

If law enforcement contacts you about something you did not do, do not try to talk your way out of it. Stay calm and ask for an attorney. Even innocent people can say something that gets misunderstood.

Bank transactions, receipts, phone location records, work schedules and medical appointments can help establish where you were on a certain date. You do not need to track every moment of your life. However, basic digital records can help if a serious mistake ever happens.

Check what photos you post publicly. Also, look at tagged photos from friends and family. Your face can appear online even when you did not post the picture yourself.

Data broker sites collect and sell personal details. A data removal service can help remove your information from these databases. You can also do it manually, but it takes time, and the information can reappear. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.

Your city or state may already use facial recognition tools. Ask what rules police must follow before they use an AI match in a criminal case. At a minimum, departments should require independent evidence before an arrest.

AI can help investigators move faster, but speed creates risk when people skip basic steps. Police still need records, timelines and common sense. Facial recognition can make mistakes. It can misread poor images. It can point to the wrong person. And when that happens, the consequences do not stay on a screen. They show up at someone’s front door.

This case should make every police department pause. Facial recognition may help find leads, but it should never be enough to upend someone’s life. Angela Lipps says she lost months behind bars for a crime she did not commit in a state she had never visited. Her attorney says basic records later helped prove she was in Tennessee. That should have happened before spending months in jail. Greenwood summed up the case this way: “Ridiculous case never should have happened.” Technology can help police solve crimes. But when a computer match replaces real detective work, innocent people can pay the price. For the full conversation with Angela Lipps’ defense attorney and more on how this case unfolded, listen to the “CyberGuy Report” podcast at CyberGuyPodcast.com.

If a facial recognition match can help send a grandmother to jail, what guardrails should every police department be forced to follow before someone loses their freedom? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Culture

Cracker Barrel Fans Outraged Again After NEW Major Change

Published

1 week ago

August 4, 2026

Addison Blake

Cracker Barrel Fans Outraged Again After NEW Major Change

Cracker Barrel built its reputation on comfort food, Southern tradition, and a menu customers could count on for decades.

That’s exactly why loyal diners are still fuming as the restaurant chain continues removing many of the classic dishes that helped make it a household name.

For years, customers have pleaded with the Tennessee-based chain to restore fan favorites that quietly disappeared from the menu, including black-eyed peas, fried haddock, red-eye gravy, fried chicken livers, and perhaps the most mourned item of all—the Sunrise Sampler.

For many longtime patrons, the Sunrise Sampler wasn’t just another breakfast. It was the breakfast.

The hearty platter came loaded with eggs, grits, fried apples, hash brown casserole, sausage, bacon, country ham, and biscuits with gravy—giving diners a taste of nearly everything Cracker Barrel had to offer without having to piece together a meal item by item.

“I noticed a while back that Cracker Barrel removed the GOAT of all breakfasts, the Sunrise Sampler, from the menu,” Josh Cooper, owner of Cooper’s Next Level BBQ in Tallahassee, Florida, told Fox News Digital. “You used to get a little bit of everything without breaking the bank.”

The meal hasn’t completely disappeared—but recreating it now comes with a catch.

Customers must order every component separately, turning what was once an affordable breakfast favorite into a considerably more expensive order.

“Now, in order to get that same teaser touch from the Sunrise Sampler, you have to order it all à la carte, which costs around $25 for the same great meal,” he said. “Blasphemy!”

Fox News Digital reached out to Cracker Barrel for comment.

The growing frustration over disappearing menu items comes after the company already faced a wave of backlash for attempting to modernize its image.

Last year, Cracker Barrel sparked outrage among longtime customers after unveiling a redesigned logo and updated restaurant interiors that many believed stripped away the rustic charm that had long defined the brand.

The changes were part of a sweeping $700 million overhaul across more than 660 locations, including menu revisions and a cleaner, less cluttered dining room design.

The company ultimately reversed course following widespread criticism, but many loyal customers say the damage had already been done.

The leadership shakeup continued last week when Cracker Barrel announced that CEO Julie Masino will step down on Aug. 10.

Former Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno is slated to take over.

For many customers, however, the issue extends far beyond a logo or a fresh coat of paint.

They believe corporate leadership has steadily chipped away at the very traditions that made Cracker Barrel stand apart from countless other restaurant chains.

Cooper said companies often underestimate the emotional attachment customers have to longtime menu favorites.

People are “asking for comfort and nostalgia.”

“The reality is that nostalgia matters. And when you remove popular items without controlling the narrative or managing customers’ expectations, you are bound to have upset patrons,” he said.

“Whether it’s due to rising food costs, kitchen timing or any other reason, it’s important to communicate with the people who put you on the map in the first place. Communication matters.”

Rachel Love, a self-described Cracker Barrel enthusiast from Tennessee, said one discontinued favorite remains at the top of her wish list.

“I absolutely loved the black-eyed peas, and I’m so glad they’re getting some attention,” Love told Fox News Digital. “They were one of my favorite sides and always felt like such a classic part of the Cracker Barrel experience.”

Love also hopes the restaurant revives its baked apple dumpling, describing it as “the perfect comfort dessert” for a brand built on old-fashioned hospitality.

To her, the debate is about much more than a handful of discontinued recipes.

“People aren’t just asking for old menu items — they’re asking for the comfort and nostalgia that came with them,” she said.

“Sometimes bringing back one classic dish means more to loyal customers than introducing several new ones.”

That may be the lesson Cracker Barrel continues to learn the hard way.

Customers aren’t asking the chain to reinvent itself.

They’re asking it to remember what made it successful.

They want the front porch.

They want the country store.

They want the breakfasts, the classic sides, and the timeless comfort food that turned Cracker Barrel into an American institution.

For many loyal diners, nostalgia isn’t a weakness.

It’s the brand.

Latest

Mamdani Kicked Out — He’s Livid After Latest Announcement

Published

1 week ago

August 4, 2026

Addison Blake

Mamdani Kicked Out — He’s Livid After Latest Announcement

Backlash against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to mount, with the Democratic Socialist facing another public rebuke after reportedly being denied the opportunity to speak at the funeral of a U.S. Army soldier killed during an Iranian missile attack.

According to multiple reports, Mamdani attended Friday’s funeral for Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad in Queens but remained silent throughout the service after the soldier’s family reportedly chose not to have him address mourners.

Rampersad was one of three American service members killed in Jordan during an Iranian attack on July 17.

The funeral was held at a church in Ozone Park, where elected officials, community leaders, family members and fellow mourners gathered to honor the 28-year-old soldier’s sacrifice.

According to the New York Post, Mamdani appeared to review prepared remarks on an iPad while other dignitaries spoke, but his name was never called.

A source familiar with the funeral told The Post the decision came directly from Rampersad’s family, which reportedly wanted to keep politics out of the ceremony.

The family chose not to have Mayor Zohran Mamdani speak in an effort to avoid what the source described as “political distractions.”

After the funeral concluded, the mayor’s office released the remarks Mamdani had planned to deliver.

“It is often said that our fallen ‘gave their tomorrows for our today,’” Mamdani planned to say.

“Sergeant Rampersad had tomorrows waiting for her: birthdays, ordinary mornings, evenings spent with her loved ones,” his remarks continued.

“But she gave every one of them up so that we could have ours — so that we could stand here today, safe and protected,” he was to say.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, however, did address those gathered and offered an emotional tribute to the fallen soldier.

“I feel after reading and admiring this woman from a distance, I feel like she could be one of my daughters,” Hochul said.

Other speakers included Ozone Park Residents Block Association President Sam Esposito, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.

According to the Department of War, Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, was killed in action during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

U.S. Central Command said Rampersad and two fellow service members were killed while American and coalition forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

The other fallen Americans were identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.

All three were deployed to Jordan in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the international mission to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Rampersad served with the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52d Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany.

She worked as a 25U Signal Operations Support Specialist, according to the Department of War.

One person who attended the funeral told the newspaper the mayor appeared visibly upset after realizing he would not be invited to speak.

“He looked over at his staff, frustrated and seemed angry that he didn’t speak,” the source told the Post.

The attendee said Mamdani eventually understood that his name would not be called, glanced toward members of his staff, and put away the tablet that reportedly contained his prepared remarks.

Another source cited by the newspaper said the decision reflected the wishes of Rampersad’s family, describing them as politically conservative and supportive of President Donald Trump.

“The family is more conservative and wanted to limit any political distractions,” the source told the Post.

Neither Mamdani’s office nor members of the Rampersad family have publicly confirmed the account explaining why the mayor was not invited to speak.

Although he never addressed the congregation during the service, the mayor’s office later publicly released the remarks he had prepared, bringing attention to a moment that underscored the growing political controversy surrounding New York City’s new mayor.

Latest

GOP Just Passed It 232-288 — Pelosi And AOC Lose It On House Floor

Published

1 week ago

August 4, 2026

Addison Blake

GOP Just Passed It 232-288 — Pelosi And AOC Lose It On House Floor

The House of Representatives delivered a major victory this week for Americans with disabilities who want the opportunity to work instead of being trapped by a broken federal bureaucracy.

In a bipartisan vote, lawmakers approved legislation aimed at dismantling long-standing barriers within the Social Security Disability Insurance program that critics say have discouraged work and punished self-sufficiency for decades.

H.R. 8884, the **Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act**, sponsored by Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., passed the House by a vote of 232-188 and now heads to the Senate, where it has been referred to the Committee on Finance.

The legislation restores an important tool that the Social Security Administration lost when its demonstration authority expired in 2022.

Under the bill, the SSA would once again be authorized to test practical reforms under the Social Security Disability Insurance program through Dec. 31, 2030, with demonstration projects continuing through the end of 2031.

Rather than permanently rewriting federal law, the agency would be able to pilot innovative approaches designed to help beneficiaries who are able and willing return to the workforce.

The legislation includes significant safeguards. Participation would be entirely voluntary, and no participant could receive less total income as a result of joining one of the demonstration projects.

Supporters say those protections make the bill a common-sense effort to modernize a system that has too often discouraged Americans from pursuing employment.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., argued the current system is failing many of the very people it was designed to help.

“With over 60 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance recipients expressing an interest in returning to the workforce but less than one percent leaving the program because of a successful return to work each year, the Social Security Administration’s complex rules and regulations are clearly failing to deliver for too many Americans,” Smith said.

“Giving the SSA the authority to test innovative ways to better help disabled Americans pursue gainful employment is pure common sense, and this legislation goes a step further to ensure participation in any new system is both voluntary and will not reduce a beneficiary’s total income,” Smith added.

Smith pointed to what he described as a massive disconnect between Americans who want to work and those who are actually able to do so under the current system.

For years, disability recipients have warned that attempting to return to work can trigger a maze of complicated regulations, overpayment disputes, benefit cliffs, and uncertainty that ultimately makes taking a job financially risky.

Rather than encouraging independence, critics say the current structure often rewards staying on the sidelines.

Supporters argue H.R. 8884 takes a fundamentally different approach.

Instead of expanding government programs or imposing sweeping permanent reforms without evidence, the legislation gives the Social Security Administration the flexibility to test targeted solutions, evaluate the results, and determine what actually helps Americans reenter the workforce before making lasting policy changes.

Backers say the measure reflects a core conservative principle: government assistance should serve as a bridge to opportunity—not a permanent barrier to self-reliance.

The bill recognizes that having a disability does not automatically mean someone is unable to work and that federal policy should encourage those who are capable of seeking employment rather than penalizing them for trying.

The legislation also broadens the agency’s authority to include additional populations, including blind Americans, expanding the reach of future demonstration projects.

The proposal advanced through the House with bipartisan support after clearing the Ways and Means Committee, where lawmakers from both parties acknowledged that the current disability system leaves too many Americans behind.

Still, Republicans led the charge, arguing that practical reforms backed by measurable results are preferable to expanding entitlement programs or making permanent changes without first proving they work.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether to send it to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Supporters are urging swift action, arguing that restoring the SSA’s demonstration authority represents a fiscally responsible, low-cost reform that could help thousands of Americans regain the dignity, purpose, and financial independence that comes with meaningful work.

If enacted, the Social Security Administration would once again have the authority to launch carefully monitored pilot programs designed to improve employment outcomes, while reporting requirements would provide transparency and accountability as Congress evaluates which reforms deserve permanent consideration.