Wisconsin sheriff explains why he's suing for $1M after woman allegedly faked ICE detention at a hotel
A Wisconsin sheriff is fighting back against what he calls an "outlandish" story, filing a lawsuit against a woman who claimed she was illegally detained in his jail but was actually staying at a hotel.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt announced a civil lawsuit against the woman involved and a local politician he says helped spread the story. Schmidt is seeking $1 million in damages, but says he’s doing this for "accountability."
"They came after the wrong sheriff," Schmidt said Thursday on "The Will Cain Show."
"When I find evidence to prove that you are telling a lie about my agency, especially when you're calling my correctional officers liars, you better believe it: I’m going to come back after you," he added.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi lied about being held by federal authorities for nearly two days. While Naqvi claimed she was moved across state lines to the Dodge County jail, federal authorities say she was briefly pulled aside at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for less than 90 minutes before being released.
"She was out getting spa treatments. She was getting DoorDash. She was doing everything but being in custody of DHS or the Dodge County Sheriff's Office," Schmidt said.
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Schmidt’s office says records and surveillance video show Naqvi checking into a Hampton Inn during the time she claimed to have been in custody. The evidence allegedly shows her making multiple transactions at the hotel while she was supposedly incarcerated.
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"Could you imagine having an organization that does things the right way and having somebody come in and just lie through her teeth about being in your facility?" Schmidt said. "My only recourse is to ensure some kind of accountability through a civil lawsuit."
In addition to Naqvi, Schmidt is suing Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who he said held a press conference regarding the alleged incident. Schmidt also suggested that others, including potential media outlets, could be added to the suit.
"He's complicit in this as well. I don't know for sure if he knew at the time, but I'm leaning toward yes, he did," Schmidt said.
"He's running for Congress at the time and going out and doing a huge press conference, gets nationwide coverage for this girl who's scammed other law enforcement agencies in the past, and what a huge scam it is," he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Commissioner Morrison for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
