Many individuals arrested and charged based on facial recognition scan results often feel compelled to plead guilty, especially if they have a criminal record. This situation can lead to longer sentences and increased scrutiny from law enforcement and prosecutors, contrasting with the case of Robert Williams in Detroit City.
Detroit’s recent $300,000 settlement with Williams raises broader concerns about how facial technology is used to solve crimes. It underscores increasing worries about privacy rights and the importance of establishing protections as technology advances.
TOPSHOT – A live demonstration uses artificial intelligence and facial recognition in dense crowd spatial-temporal technology at the Horizon Robotics exhibit at the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES 2019 in Las Vegas on January 10, 2019. (Photo : DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images)
Robert Williams Sued the Detroit Police Department After being Mistakenly Identified as Theft Suspect
Detroit has agreed to pay $300,000 to Robert Williams, who was wrongly accused of theft due to flawed facial recognition technology. Williams sued the Detroit Police Department after he was wrongfully arrested in front of his family and jailed for 30 hours in 2020,
The case was dismissed on Friday when the settlement between Williams and the city was filed in federal court. As part of the lawsuit settlement, the Detroit Police Department will also have to change its policies on how police will utilize this technology to prevent future misidentifications.
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The Associated Press reported that Williams, whose driver’s license photo was wrongly flagged as a match to a suspect in a 2018 shoplifting case at a Shinola store, expressed relief at the settlement.
In a press briefing on Friday, Williams expressed optimism that the new safeguards would improve the facial recognition technology and photo lineup policies. However, he preferred that the police would not use the technology.
The settlement, announced by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School, highlighted persistent concerns regarding the technology’s imperfections and its disproportionate impact on Black individuals, such as Williams.
According to the ACLU, Detroit police have agreed to new restrictions barring arrests solely based on facial recognition outcomes. The policy also prohibits arrests based on photo lineups derived from facial recognition searches.
ACLU attorney Phil Mayor said police could use facial technology to generate leads and then conduct traditional investigative procedures to determine whether the identified person committed a crime before making an arrest.
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Policy Reforms of the Detroit Police Department
In August, Chief of the Detroit Police Department James White introduced new policies on facial technology amid ongoing litigation, prompted by an incident where a pregnant woman was mistakenly charged with carjacking.
At the time, White emphasized that police must have additional evidence beyond facial recognition technology to establish a suspect’s capability, opportunity, and intent to commit a crime.
Under the terms of the agreement with Williams, Detroit police will review cases involving facial recognition use from 2017 to 2023. They will notify prosecutors if investigations reveal that arrests were made without corroborating evidence.
As Detroit grapples with the aftermath of settling with Robert Williams, the effects extend beyond the city’s borders. This agreement signals a move towards accountability and changes in how facial recognition technology is used, highlighting the need to balance innovation with civil rights.
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Using this technology responsibly to pursue justice is crucial to prevent harm to individuals like Williams and promote fairness in communities.
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Detroit’s QLINE streetcar system offers a 3.3-mile ride along Woodward Avenue, connecting key downtown and midtown destinations with a modern, battery-powered transit option.
A former Detroit People Mover official is accused of accepting $300,000 in bribes.
The official allegedly approved phony invoices for IT work that was never performed.
The businessman who submitted the invoices owned a home restoration company with no IT experience.
More than a decade ago, a juror in a Detroit public corruption trial that ended with three men getting convicted in a $97 million bribery scheme exclaimed: “Hopefully this is the end of this nightmare … this is a whole new beginning.”
It didn’t quite go that way as the following years saw two city councilmen indictments, a dozen school principal bribery convictions, a towing scandal, as well as a toxic dirt and demolition fiasco.
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And now there’s this.
In a new criminal filing in U.S. District Court, a former city official in charge of the Detroit People Mover shuttle is charged with taking $300,000 in bribes from a businessmen who reportedly billed the city for work that was never performed — all with the help of his connected associate.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday, June 2 in U.S. District Court, the alleged scheme involves 55-year-old Michael Anderson, a former director with the Detroit Transportation Corporation, who allegedly helped Detroit businessman Terrence Parker bill the city for nearly $305,000 in information technology work that was never performed.
Moreover, court records show, Parker’s company has no experience with IT work, but rather performs restoration work on homes damaged by storms and natural disasters. Still, the FBI says, Parker managed to submit 22 phony invoices to the DTC for IT work, including fixing computer monitors — and got paid for all of it. That’s because Anderson was approving his phony invoices from the inside, the government says, and getting money in exchange for his help.
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Anderson and Parker both are charged with conspiracy and federal program theft/bribery and face up to 10 years in prison, if convicted. They were released on bond following their initial appearances in U.S. District Court. Their court-appointed lawyer could not be reached for comment.
According to the complaint, Anderson, who was hired by the city in 2022, was in charge of overseeing People Mover operations until he was fired in April for conduct unrelated to the pending criminal case. Parker owns a business called Total Care Restoration (TCR), which performs restoration work on homes damaged by fire, water, windstorms, or other elements.
According to the government, Parker was billing the DTC for information technology services, even though his company has no experience in that field, nor has it ever submitted a bid proposal to the city for such work, or signed any contract with the DTC.
Still, the government alleges, between 2023-25, the DTC paid nearly $305,000 to TCR for 23 invoices it had submitted, 22 of those invoices charged for IT services.
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“Anderson approved the invoices and Parker deposited the checks into TCR’s bank account. TCR did not submit any invoices or receive any payments before Anderson was hired as Procurement Director. Likewise, TCR did not submit any invoices or receive any payments after Anderson was fired as Procurement Director,” the complaint states.
According to the government, Anderson did actually procure and manage IT contracts with a number of companies while he worked for the DTC. But TCR was billing the city for work that those companies had been contracted to do.
“At least six TCR invoices listed work that was actually contracted to (another company),” an FBI agent wrote in his affidavit attached to the criminal complaint.
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Also noteworthy, the FBI agent writes: “Most of TCR’s invoices contained a charge for debris removal. In my experience, debris removal is a common line item for restoration projects but not for IT work.”
According to the complaint, the FBI figured out that Parker was funneling money to Anderson by reviewing their bank records, and noticing that their deposits and withdrawals coincided. For example, on Aug. 16, 2024, Parker deposited a DTC check for $23,934 and withdrew $18,000 cash. That same day and over the next several days, Anderson made cash deposits into his account for $1,500, $1,300, $1,000, $700 and $1,850.
“There is probable cause to believe that Parker paid Anderson a portion of the money from the TCR invoices,” the FBI agent writes.
Javier Báez hits home run in 2026 spring training with Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez talks to reporters during spring training February 27, 2026, at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Detroit Tigers shut down two of their shortstops on the injured list.
The biggest name?
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Javier Báez.
The 33-year-old has been shut down from baseball activities after meeting with a specialist Monday, June 1, about the lack of progress in recovery from a right high ankle sprain, which he suffered April 28. (The Tigers also shut down Trey Sweeney, who has been sidelined with a right shoulder strain since spring training and needs further medical evaluation.)
“We’re still dissecting all the diagnoses and what’s going on with him,” manager A.J. Hinch said of Báez before Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. “He’s just not progressing very quickly, and right now, rest is still part of the equation.”
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The Tigers tried to start Báez’s return-to-play progression with running, hitting and fielding drills.
He still felt symptoms of the high ankle sprain.
“I’m not a doctor,” Hinch said, “but I understand it watching Javy go through a very slow process of the swelling and the bleeding and all the things that go on inside that type of sprain.”
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How long until Báez returns to baseball activities?
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The timeline is unknown.
He isn’t expected to need surgery, which means he should return at some point after the All-Star break in 2026.
“From what I was told, we’re on the right path and everything is going well,” Hinch said. “These are just really tricky. The path that we’re on, we’re just going to go slow. Baseball activity is going to slow down because we’ve got to make sure we’re taking care of the symptoms.”
Before the injury, Báez played in 24 games for the Tigers, hitting .256 with two home runs, two walks and 16 strikeouts. The injury occurred while running to first base against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, as he tried to avoid a tag with an awkward slide.
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The 13-year MLB veteran’s contract with the Tigers runs until November 2027. He is in the penultimate season of a six-year, $140 million contract from December 2021.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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