Angela Lipps’ criminal defense attorney believes if investigators conducted a better investigation, she wouldn’t have been in jail

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For nearly six months, Angela Lipps was jailed in both Tennessee and North Dakota. And when criminal defense attorney Jay Greenwood was assigned to Lipps, it didn’t take long for him to figure out that she was the wrong person

“I think if they had talked to Angela in July, they would’ve been able to establish the fact that she’s never been to North Dakota. But nobody reached out to her or her family or anything. So, if they talked to her prior to issuing the arrest warrant, like right after they got her name with this facial recognition software, I don’t think we’d be in this process. None of this would have happened,” said Greenwood.

Greenwood was told by Lipps to contact her family for her bank records. In the records he found, she had made purchases in Tennessee the day the bank fraud was said to have occurred. Lipps faced up to eight charges, but when Greenwood presented evidence to the contrary, the charges were soon dismissed.

“Once we showed that Angela was purchasing things in her hometown on the dates that she was supposed to have been in North Dakota, they didn’t have anything to refute that. And if they had evidence that would refute that, they would have not dismissed the case. So the evidence that they may get, who knows?” said Greenwood.

While Lipps is back in Tennessee, the case remains open and active. But Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski had said that while her charges are dismissed, they could be refiled if investigators uncover additional information.

“The best case scenario for Fargo PD is this dream scenario where she’s a part of this criminal conspiracy. Then they have to start all over again. And then go through the process entirely, one more time. And again, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. I don’t think they have anything to refute the fact that Angela was in Tennessee the entire time,” said Greenwood.

Interest in the case has grown exponentially, according to Greenwood, who has received contact from as far away as Australia.