Darien Police on Thursday mentioned a recent incident in which phony identification was found on a town teenager, and police say they recently came upon other teens with fake IDs.
[Editor’s note: See the update quoting a Greenwich police officer at the bottom of this article.]
Fake IDs are now being sold on the Internet. That’s a felony under state law, they remind the public in this announcement (although local police haven’t said they’re actually charging teens with the felony crime):
Sample Connecticut driver’s license
In recent weeks the Darien Police Department has come across several young people who were in possession of fraudulent or “fake IDs.” It’s been determined that the main sources of these counterfeit licenses are online retailers.
The websites typically require each purchaser to send their name, photo, signature and payment. The manufacturer would then generate a fake address usually taken directly from MLS listings of houses for sale in the chosen state. The high quality identification cards replicate licenses from Connecticut and other states.
Intricate details are duplicated on the counterfeit licenses, including watermarks, making them nearly indistinguishable from authentic IDs. The counterfeit licenses cost between $100 and $200 and usually need to be purchased using pre-paid credit cards, reload cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoins.
Fake IDs are not as harmless as they seem. Det. Sgt. Jeremiah Marron of the Darien Police Department states, “Young people and their parents need to realize that obtaining fraudulent identification is a serious crime with potential criminal consequences. Although their teenager may only be using a fake ID to buy alcohol or get into a bar, driver’s licenses are official government-issued documents” Marron said.
“Underage drinking and underage purchasing of alcohol is a very real concern for our community. Additionally, a concern for law enforcement across the nation is when individuals use these types of fraudulent documents to enter the country illegally or even worse, commit acts of terrorism.”
What most violators don’t understand is that simply having a fake ID in their wallet is a violation of Forgery in the Second Degree (in Connecticut). This is a Class D felony carrying a penalty up to 5 years in jail, a $5000.00 fine and probation.
Of additional consequence is that sending private and identifying information across the web to an unknown entity exposes you to identity theft.
Marron added, “The moral of the story here is that fake IDs aren’t as casual as our young people and their friends play them off to be. They come with big risks and even bigger legal consequences if they’re caught. While it’s unlikely that this crime will result in a prison sentence, especially as a first offense, a future employer could see a potential employee as someone who has honesty issues.”
Lastly, underage drinking is a causal factor in a host of serious problems including suicide, traumatic injury, drowning, violent and property crime, high-risk sex, alcohol poisoning, and the need for treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence. In 2013 underage drinking cost the citizens of Connecticut $0.7 billion.
These costs include medical care, work loss, and pain and suffering associated with the multiple problems resulting from the use of alcohol by youth. (Source: Taylor DM, Miller TR. (2015). Methodology: Underage Drinking Fact Sheets. Calverton, MD: PIRE)
UPDATE: What the Greenwich Police Special Victims Section leader says about Teens with Phony IDs
Greenwich Free Press just published this article about teens and phony IDs in that town, and much of what police Sgt. Mark Zuccerella says could easily apply to Darien teenagers, too. Highlights from the article:
- “A felony arrest in the state of Connecticut has dire repercussions for youth, including a high likelihood of expulsion from school and confiscation of a legitimate driver’s license.”
- Most fake IDs, especially those purchased online, are easily spotted. Low-quality licenses will “split like a deck of cards,” said Zuccerella. “I can guarantee that if a kid has a fake ID, gets pulled over, and hands it over, he will be arrested.”
- The Greenwich Police Department, however, estimates that 65 to 80 percent of alcohol in underage drinking comes from the home.
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