Fake IDs are starting to become a thing of the past because of innovative techniques bars, liquor stores, gas stations and restaurants around Stillwater use.
Paul Bostick, a Stillwater police officer, hosts a class to train employees on how to spot fake IDs every semester.
Bostick said the police used to issue $100 fines for the possession of a fake ID, but now that they’re so prevalent, they’re a real problem.
“If you’re caught with a fake ID, you can be charged with a felony and receive an $800 to $1,000 fine,” he said.
This isn’t including the $300 to $500 you have to pay to go to classes and clear your record, Bostick said.
“If someone trades IDs with someone and is caught but tells the truth, they will probably receive a misdemeanor; however, if you lie you’re going to jail in an orange jumpsuit,” Bostick said.
James Katsumoto, a doorman at Eskimo Joe’s, said that most of the IDs they find are from the minor’s friends.
“Incoming freshmen or any underage person should not even think about trying to make it in a bar these days because of the technology that is available,” he said.
Katsumoto said they usually check the height and weight of the person on the ID and will sometimes use a black light to pick up false holograms.
“Some of the red flags we pick right off the back are nervous people who are sweating bullets.”
Dallas Herrera, a doorman at J.R. Murphy’s, said on average they catch about two to three fake IDs a weekend and on busy occasions catch about eight to 12.
Paul Bostick said some of the hardest IDs to find are from Texas and Nevada.
“These specific types of fake IDs are so hard to pick out because they look so authentic and have little or no errors on them,” he said.
Herrera said the Nevada IDs in particular are almost impossible to trace at the door.
Katsumoto said that the recent Oklahoma IDs, however, are difficult to duplicate because of the card’s unique features.
“Most people don’t know that they can see a forward and reverse “double OK” in the middle of their driver’s license when a flashlight is lit beneath it,” he said.
That’s why we shine the light over the ID at the door, Katsumoto said.
Bostick also added that IDs from foreign countries are hard to pick out as well.
“There was a kid from Germany who used his bus pass for two years to get in bars around Stillwater and was never caught,” he said.
We also find illegal aliens with company ID cards too, Bostick said.
David Heppel, manager of J.R. Murphy’s, said they are aware of the consequences associated with having underage people in the bar and don’t take any risks.
Bostick said a few years ago there was a quadruple homicide on North Perkins Road that was associated with two underage men that drank too much at a bar before getting in their vehicle.
“When we find a potentially fake ID, we offer the choice of them leaving or waiting for the police to authenticate it,” he said.
J.R. Murphy’s is one of the top establishments for spotting fake IDs, Heppel said.
“We welcome anyone who’s 21 and older, but if you’re a minor, don’t try it,” Heppel said.
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