July 29, 2026 – Dodge Co., Wi – Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt has filed an amended complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in his ongoing defamation lawsuit arising from false allegations that he and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office unlawfully detained an Illinois woman earlier this year.
The amended complaint (see below) incorporates substantial new evidence developed since the original lawsuit was filed and adds Sarah Afzal, the sister of Defendant Sundas Naqvi, as a defendant. The complaint alleges Afzal participated in the publication and republication of false statements concerning Sheriff Schmidt and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office. The amended complaint also alleges a cause of action for Conspiracy, maintaining that Ms. Naqvi, Ms. Afzal and Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison – and perhaps others – knowingly reached an agreement, understanding, or common scheme to disseminate false statements concerning Sheriff Schmidt.
New evidence supporting the amended complaint includes additional surveillance video, hotel records, telephone records, and other digital evidence documenting Ms. Naqvi’s whereabouts and communications during the period she publicly claimed she was being unlawfully detained.
Among the new allegations are telephone records documenting multiple calls between Ms. Naqvi and Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who was actively running for Congress at the time, during the same period Morrison publicly claimed he had lost contact with her while she allegedly was being unlawfully detained. This includes a call made to Ms. Naqvi at 2:14 a.m. on March 7, 2026, just two hours before Ms. Naqvi left the Hampton Inn in Rosemont, Illinois and began her travel to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
The amended complaint also alleges extensive communications between Ms. Naqvi and Ms. Afzal, including 69 text messages and multiple telephone calls on March 6, followed by additional communications during the early morning hours of March 7 as Ms. Naqvi traveled to Wisconsin. According to the amended complaint, those communications are significant to the dissemination and republication of the false detention allegations.
Additional surveillance evidence also documents Ms. Naqvi at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Rosemont, Illinois during the period she publicly claimed to be in government custody.
“The amended complaint is not simply a procedural filing,” Sheriff Schmidt said. “It reflects substantial additional evidence uncovered since the original complaint was filed, including new surveillance video, additional telephone records, and evidence supporting the addition of another defendant. As additional facts were uncovered, it became important that we allege the most complete and accurate factual record possible.”
As previously announced, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive investigation using surveillance footage, hotel records, jail records, telephone records, digital evidence, and other investigative resources. That investigation concluded Ms. Naqvi was never booked into or detained at the Dodge County Jail.
The amended complaint alleges that despite evidence contradicting those claims, false allegations continued to be repeated publicly, accusing Sheriff Schmidt and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office of illegally detaining an American citizen and participating in a cover-up. The lawsuit further alleges those false statements caused substantial damage to Sheriff Schmidt’s personal and professional reputation.
“This lawsuit has never been about preventing criticism of government,” Schmidt said. “Public officials should expect scrutiny and accountability, and I welcome both. However, accountability must be grounded in truth. The additional evidence developed during this investigation continues to reinforce what we have maintained from the very beginning: Ms. Naqvi was never detained at the Dodge County Jail. This amended complaint ensures the Court has the opportunity to consider all the evidence as this case moves forward.”
The amended complaint is a public filing in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Sheriff Schmidt intends to continue pursuing all available legal remedies to hold accountable those who knowingly participated in publishing or republishing false allegations.
The above release was provided by Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt.
Amended complaint from Dodge County is below.