Automated Facial Recognition Tech Used By This Florida Sheriff’s Office Led To Wrongful Incarceration Of A Black Father – AfroTech

Automated facial recognition tech led to a Black father being wrongfully imprisoned for months.

Action News Jax reports that Jalil Richardson of Charlotte, NC, and father of 10, spent nearly three months behind bars for a car theft investigation that occurred in a Florida Publix parking lot. The case opened April 2, 2025, after an individual told the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office that they had purchased a stolen car from a man and claimed they did not know it had been stolen.

Richardson was matched to the crime by investigators who used automated facial recognition tech. They compared surveillance footage from the case to a photo of Richardson. The victim in the case also said Richardson was the suspect when presented with a lineup of photos, per Action News Jax.

Richardson’s wife, Jasmine Jackson, said officers alleged Richardson was a near match to the suspect.

“He said, ‘Jalil came back as close as 85%, and that’s the reason why he charged Jalil with the crime,’” Jackson told the outlet.

Richardson was charged with “stolen property, grand theft, unlawful possession of motor vehicle with vehicle identification number removed, possession of fraudulent title, and fraudulent use of fictitious personal identification information,” according to Action News Jax.

Richardson commented:

“When they arrived, they informed me they had a warrant for me out in Jacksonville, and I was incarcerated for 33 days in Mecklenburg County,” Richardson said. “They extradited me to Florida after 33 days in Mecklenburg County, and then I spent the rest of the month in Jacksonville, which was another 50 days,” he said.

Investigators later confirmed he did not commit the crime. Timecards proved that Richardson was working in North Carolina at the time of the crime in Jacksonville, FL, about 400 miles away. The case was dropped on May 27.

“It’s overwhelming, and it’s devastating, and it’s outrageous,” Richardson told Action News Jax.

Criminal defense attorney Michelle Suskauer, not involved with the case, commented:

“There are so many levels of error here. It’s pretty terrifying when someone’s life can be ruined as a result of the technology used in this case.”