Fake IDs not so easy to fake

Published April 29, 2009
The Easton Journal

By Chris Almeida

If you’re under 21 and planning to buy alcohol, you may as well just stay at home.

Thanks to new technologies and an emphasis on underage drinking by law enforcement, fake IDs are harder to use in the Easton area.

While different liquor stores have different methods of detecting fakes, all say that the holograph on new licenses makes it tough for people underage to duplicate.

“We don’t get many fakes any more. Most of the time they’re out of state and we can’t take out of state,” said Joe Demita, who has worked at Hennessey’s for eight months.

After losing its liquor license for two days last year because of sales to underage customers, Shovelshop Spirits now has a machine that scans IDs and calls the police for back-up when fake IDs appear.

“We were just confiscating but now we press charges,” said store clerk Nico Linzi, who has worked at Shovelshop Spirits for seven months.

According to the Easton Police Department, pressing charges is more commonplace than one would think.

“Shovelshop is not the only package store that calls for backup,” said Sgt. Gary Sullivan.

Those caught with a fake ID face misdemeanor charges and a $300 fine. If convicted, the Registry of Motor Vehicles can suspend the license 180 days, according to Sgt. Sullivan.

The Easton Police have been performing Alcohol Compliance Checks at establishments licensed to serve alcohol.

These checks have been ongoing since January 2009 thanks to an Underage Alcohol Enforcement Grant that is federally funded.

“All establishments have passed so far,” Sullivan said.

Those still using fake IDs are not in the age group one might suspect.

“The last three have all been high school kids,” Linzi of Shovelshop Spirits said.

Hennessey’s said that it has not seen a fake ID in quite some time.

“We’re known to be real strict. We ask for a Stonehill ID and a driver’s license for out-of-state IDs,” Joe Demita said.

Hennessey’s also has a “Stonehill Book” with the year of birth of all students attending Stonehill College. This book is used to verify a student’s birth year if there is some question about the ID.

While Hennessey’s generally confiscates the fake ID when presented, more often the person will say they forgot their ID.

“They say ‘I don’t have it with me.’ I say, “OK, but you just pulled up in a car,” Demita said.

Most of the workers have stories about people who come in without IDs and panic.

“One kid ran away without his car and then had to come back a couple hours later,” Demita said.

One recent case at Shovelshop Spirits involved a teenager being tracked down by the police.

According to Linzi, the police called the boy’s house and his parents said he was at a party. Charges will be pressed.

Sting operations are common ways to check on liquor stores carding their patrons. However, police have to put a notice in the newspaper that they will be performing a sting.

Restaurants and bars are also required to card their patrons when alcohol is involved.

“There aren’t many fakes. Usually it’s just kids trying to use older people’s IDs. I could confiscate them but I usually just send them away,” Pat McPhillips, a worker at Buddy’s Union Villa said.

Nick Meyer, a 22 year old senior at Stonehill College, used a fake ID “at least fifty times” when he was between 19 and 20 years old.

“I got it from a friend who was making them in Maine. It was a Maine ID and he made them so that they could scan,” Meyer said.

However, his ID was not very effective at Easton establishments.

“I went around and tested places. It never got confiscated but most of the time they didn’t accept out-of-state. I always had to go into Brockton and use it,” said Meyer.

“I think that Stonehill kids know to stay away from places around here.”