A fake ID could be worth a $500 fine

She's only been denied once.

However, Kelly Langley*, a 20-year-old KSC sophomore with a 23-year-old ID, has been able to get into three different Keene bars with her fake ID.

"I got it from a friend here at school who graduated already," she said.

The time she was denied was because she forgot the birth date on the ID.

"I got turned down because the guy asked me my date of birth and I gave him the wrong year," said Langley. "He said, 'What is your birthday?' and I said the wrong year and he said, 'Um no, it's not. It's '79, not '78.' He said, 'You were close though,'" Langley said.

In Langley's case, the bouncer just turned her away. But using a fake ID is considered a felony and if caught, a person could face serious penalties.

David Keaveny of the Keene Police Department and KSC's liaison officer, said the police sometimes arrest people when they're called to a scene where someone is using a fake ID.

"When we are called to bars and convenience stores, we will first confirm the identification is false or fake.  At that point we will get the person's information and draft a warrant for the person under the charges that fit the scenario," said Keaveny.

"However, if the person continues to tell us the license is real, or it is them in the identification (which has happened, even after we confirmed it to be fake), and that they are 21, we will arrest them on the spot," he added.  

We have had numerous occasions in which people under the age of 21 have gone into convenience stores and come out with alcohol.  Those people are arrested on the scene, he said.  

Underage students get fake identifications, either by way of borrowing real ones from others, altering their own, or having someone make them with copying devices.

And they're not always cheap. IDs can range from a couple dollars to about $100, depending on who makes them, and how they do it.

"With the Internet and upgrade in computer equipment, people are able to reproduce licenses easier and we are seeing more and more fake identifications," said Keaveny.

Another technique people sometimes use to alter IDs is called, "chalking your ID," said one KSC male. They use colored pencils to change birth dates, instead of using scanners, he said.

Others take an alternative route.

"On Thursdays, my buddy lets me use his [ID]," said Adam Ferguson*, a Keene State College junior, who will really be 21 on May 15. "Now they don't even card me."

Ferguson said confidence is key when approaching a bouncer.

"All you have to do is walk in like you own the place," he said.

With the fake ID, Ferguson has been able to get into three local bars in Keene. His ID was only questioned once.

"The first time [attempting to use the ID], the lady looked at me and made me take off my hat. She started shaking her head, giggled and said, 'Have a good night,'" said Ferguson.

Fake IDs aren't only used to get beer either.

Once in high school, Ferguson paid a friend $10 to scan him a temporary ID so he could get a body part pierced.

"It looked real. It was done on the same paper that temps are made on," Ferguson said. "I was 15."

But is a $10 ID worth a $500 fine?

Keaveny said people found producing fake IDs would be charged with forgery, which is a felony in New Hampshire.

"The charges for having a false/fake identification is under the License Prohibitions 263:12 Statute, which comes with a Class A Misdemeanor and a $500 fine," said Keaveny.

He added, "If you are caught in the act of using the identification to purchase alcohol, it would fit under the RSA 179:9 Misrepresenting Age, which constitutes the same penalty."

Mark Schmidl-Gagne, KSC's Dispute Resolution Officer, said if Campus Safety came across someone with a fake ID, sanctions would be issued.

   "These sanctions would be based on the nature of the policies they have been found responsible for, and their previous judicial history," said Schmidl-Gagne.  

   He added, "Usually someone is not just found responsible for possession of a fake ID. There are usually other violations involved also."

Dan Lederer, of the Margaritas Management Group, said that Margaritas restaurant employees-like those in Keene-take action when they spot fake IDs.

"In the event that we do spot a suspicious or fake ID, the most obvious thing we do is refuse service.  

But, faking one's legal age is a criminal offense and in many cases, managers will contact the local police and hand the ID in question over to them," he said. 

Lederer added, "When the possibility of losing our license is at stake, we take the matter very seriously."

We can honestly say we do our best to curtail fake IDs, Lederer said.

Some people don't have fakes because they simply don't want them. They wait until they really are 21 to go to bars.

Katie Burrage, now a 21-year-old KSC junior, is one of them.

"I didn't really see the need for a fake ID," said Burrage.

Chris Martel, a sophomore, doesn't have a fake either. The reason he doesn't have one is because it takes effort to obtain one.

"I lack the motivation to make a fake ID," he said. "And everyone gets in trouble sooner or later."

Jay Ledoux*, a junior at KSC, was recently arrested for underage drinking. His fake-an expired army ID-was confiscated.

"Me and a few of my buddies were walking back from a party. Everyone was cocked. I was the only one under 21," said Ledoux. "After he [the cop] cuffed me, he went through my wallet and found it."

Officer Keaveny said the KPD has come across approximately 15 fake and false identifications this semester alone.

"When I say fake identification I am talking about one that is produced by someone other than a legal issuing agency," said Keaveny. "The false identification is one that is passed down by an older brother or sister, or the picture of someone over 21 looks like you."  

Ed Danby*, a 20-year-old sophomore at KSC, has been using his brother's old ID to buy beer and to get into bars, in Keene, since February.

"Right when we got back from break is when I started using it. I don't really remember," he said. "I was buying beer when I was 17 without an ID though."

Officer Keaveny said people could be arrested if they didn't have an ID on them while buying alcohol.

"You can also be arrested for attempting to purchase alcohol even if the clerk denies your purchase and you do not have a fake identification," he said. "Store owners and bar owners are also fined if they sell alcohol to someone who is not 21."

Danby's main concern is that he could lose his real license if he ever gets caught. He's not too worried though because his ID is a 'real' fake.

"I would never get in trouble with it unless someone told on me. It is pretty much perfect. It's not a fake-fake. You know, it's real," he said.

There are hundreds of fake ID Web sites on the Internet.

Opportunities to buy, sell or make scanned IDs are everywhere.

But if you get caught, the possibilities of hefty fines and possible loss of your (real) driver's license are there, too.

The question is: Is it worth it?

Some say yes.

As for Langley, she has one more year to go.