Fargo Bank Fraud Investigation Expands
FARGO — A recently released search warrant has shed light on a complex bank fraud operation that spans the Fargo-Moorhead metro area, revealing more suspected participants.
Angela Lipps from Tennessee had been incarcerated for months but was released after it was found that there may have been an issue with facial recognition technology used in her identification.
Noel Bilbrough, a 49-year-old from New Jersey, has admitted to being part of the scheme and now faces several charges in Cass County, as indicated in the warrants. Lipps was also identified through this facial recognition method.
Documented losses from local banks and credit unions have exceeded $67,000 due to this fraud scheme. Bilbrough has implicated Jordan Potts from New York as a contact who recruited her into this operation. Additionally, Richard Jackson from Florida was noted in police encounters, although, as of now, there are no pending charges against him or Potts.
The warrant details Bilbrough’s admission of involvement in three out of seven fraud incidents that took place in Fargo between April 9 and May 9, 2025. She recounted how Potts had flown to Fargo with her from New York, and it’s suggested that Potts plays a significant role as a mid-level leader within a broader fraud network.
According to Fargo Police Chief David Ziborski, “This is a pretty organized criminal organization. They seem to be training people, and notably, it appears most of them are women.”
During their time in Fargo, Bilbrough stated that Potts provided her with a counterfeit military ID, which she used to facilitate transactions at banks. Bilbrough’s use of earphones during these activities allowed her to follow Potts’ instructions in real time.
Ziborski added that these attempts appeared to involve large withdrawals, often kept under $10,000 to escape federal scrutiny.
Bilbrough indicated that Potts had promised her a 10% cut of approximately $28,000 stolen, which she never received. She has also confessed to participating in similar scams in states like South Dakota, Texas, and Arizona. Interestingly, even though she mentioned being scouted by Potts, the warrant does not include any discussion about Lipps.
However, Lipps’ name does come up in the warrant, listed as Suspect 2. Initially identified as Angela Lipps from Tennessee, a detective later found that this wasn’t accurate. The true identity of that suspect remains unknown.
Cass County State’s Attorney Kim Hegvik, who had been absent when this case arose, returned this week. WDAY News sought her office’s stance on prosecuting cases that involve facial recognition and AI technologies, along with her response to calls for improved communication regarding arrests.
On March 25, Hegvik informed WDAY News that she would not engage in an interview about the case due to possible legal implications.
