Newark will pay $350,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by a Boonton car dealer who was falsely named in a police press release as one of 13 men arrested in a prostitution sting.

Mohammed Ibrahim sued Newark, claiming the city failed to promptly correct a 2019 news release that included his photo among those arrested, even though he was never charged.

The image, one of 10 pulled from a database of crime victims, was distributed as a “mug shot” by the city’s public information office.

Ibrahim said the 2019 news release devastated his reputation, causing family, friends, business partners, and customers to cut ties.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in 2020, he and his family are devout Muslims, and his car dealerships serve many Muslim customers in the local community.

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