RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) – In Virginia, law enforcement is taking an aggressive approach to crack down on minors using fake IDs. Richmond ABC agents just learned of a fake Virginia ID that was used in the Roanoke area. That’s significant because tight security measures had made it difficult to reproduce a virginia id fake, until now.
Investigators say they routinely find minors in the area using fake IDs from other states because they’re typically easier to reproduce. Now that fake IDs are circulating in Virginia, agents are fighting back.
The bar scene is often an enticing magnet for those not old enough to be there.
“I had one day where my door person made a little graveyard, and she had about 12 of them pop up front in one night,” said Sean Prevle of Baja Bean.
He’s talking about fake IDs. Minors are looking to get inside bars and being quickly turned away.
“A lot of times, they’ll use that ID to try to get past us even,” said an ABC agent, who doesn’t want to be identified because he often goes undercover.
The agency has made some 100 arrests since January for fraudulent identifications.
“We were out patrolling one night and saw a long line at one of our licensed establishments. We got out and could immediately tell a lot of people in line were under age. It was just me and another agent. Literally within a 45-minute period, we seized over 20 IDs,” the agent said.
They’re usually from other states.
“You’ll see that West Virginia and the seal of West Virginia fluoresce under ultraviolet light,” Agent David Huff said while pointing to IDs.
It’s why ABC is kicking off training for local law enforcement agencies, especially since fake Virginia IDs are beginning to circulate, agents say, for the first time in years.
“We have security features that are only visible under ultraviolet light,” Huff demonstrated.
Since counterfeit ID makers are getting savvy, so are investigators as they crack down. Even bartenders are doing their due diligence, so they aren’t penalized.
“My criminal charge is independent of my employment here. They can fire me on the spot, and I still have to go to circuit court. When they’re 21 years old, they’re more than welcome to come back and drink with us. It’s just the law is the law, and we have to follow that,” Prevle said.
A lot of the fake ID are being manufactured overseas, which finds local agents even reaching out to the FBI. If you’re caught with one, you can face a $2,500 fine or even a year in jail.
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