Police Bust Fake ID Ring

KOCO Channel 5 News ^ | 11/01/2005 | KOCO Ch.5

[LibertyRocks]

NORMAN, Okla. -- Hundreds of students are now under investigation after fake IDs are found on the University of Oklahoma campus.

Police said the latest rash of fake IDs have come from Dallas and that an OU fraternity member is selling the bogus Texas driver's licenses for about $100 each. Experts say these IDs are so close to the real thing that they're virtually undetectable.

"The ones coming out of Texas are really good, and they're getting better," said O'Connell's bartender Todd Emerson.

Emerson has confiscated dozens of fake IDs at the Norman pub.

"Most of these IDs are pretty bad," he said.

Norman police said they have turned over the fraternity member's computer to the Secret Service, which is tracking the names and identities of hundreds of students who tried to buy one of those fake IDs.

However, students who are in possession have a chance to turn in their fake ID without being charged with a crime -- if they turn them in before Nov. 18. Police indicated that they already have the names of the people who purchased fake IDs from the OU fraternity member.

Detectives said they'll accept the IDs in person, or you can simply mail then in.

[LibertyRocks]

None... I just find it an odd coincidence is all. It will be interesting to see how this was uncovered in the first place. I'm curious if it was at all related to the ongoing investigation or previous and ongoing cases involving 3 other students (Boyce/Eldridge & Dreyling). Too many strange things happening on the campus of OU this year...

It's well-worth keeping in mind that recent events may make this story much more noteworthy than simply busting a bunch of wannabe drunk college kids.

[martin_fierro]

Like I said, I hope I never have to prove you wrong.

If you had any sense, you should, too.

[Phantom Lord]

I will grant you this. Fake IDs are a problem, and the operations that produce them are a problem and should be dealt with.

But as with "zero tolerance" policies in schools, when a blanket policy is instituted all rational thinking is thrown out the window.

Some kid in his dorm room making fake IDs or altering the birthdate on a real ID so college friends can buy beer is of such little importance that it should be pretty much ignored.

A mass operation dealing in fake documents clearly for the purpose of supplying them to illegal aliens and other undesireables is an operation that should have the full weight of law enforcement launched upon them.

[Hegemony Cricket]

All roads lead to Norman...

[Paulus Invictus]

It's not impossible that the fraudulent IDs are made by the Latino counterfeiters who also make really good green cards, US passports with great visas and drivers licenses to order.

When I worked with a large university, most of the foreign students I knew had been contacted by counterfeiters and their prices were accessible. Some students wanted to stay in the US and paid for false documents. I would estimate that 90% of the illegals have false documents of some kind. The gummint has no way, they claim, to determine which are real and which are fake. It should be relatively easy to figure out how to do that.

Better yet, with an unbreakable photo ID with a thumb print for all Americans, this problem would disappear, but many resist that idea.

[Phantom Lord]

Better yet, with an unbreakable photo ID with a thumb print for all Americans

Anything man made can be duplicated with exacting precision.

[LurkedLongEnough]

The drinking age should be brought down to 16, but driving should be gradually phased in from 18-21. By the time a kid can drive he will have learned that drinking is not a special initiation rite to adulthood.

Then make oppressively strict laws against intoxicated driving, and everyone is happy.

[MizSterious]

I'll be surprised if these little gems were made in someone's dorm room. Maybe one of the university high-end printers, but not in a dorm room. Watch one of the videos about these: very high quality, and the only "tell" is some missing printing that is so tiny that you'd need a strong magnifying glass to even notice that it's not there.

The thing that has a lot of us concerned, especially those of us who live around here, is that we've already had one terrorist attack that went awry--and is being covered up--and now they're finding these all over the place.

The ones they found were likely purchased in the pursuit of keggers. Evidently, they're cheap enough so that even college students can afford them.

But we don't know who has the id's that weren't found, and who made them in the first place. Even if the trail doesn't lead directly to the Islamic Center (and my bet is that it won't), whoever is making and selling them is probably not being all that picky about who buys them. If they've got the money, they'll sell it to them.

Doesn't that concern you? It does me, but then I live near Norman.

[Phantom Lord]

Like I said above. Follow it, pursue it, and see where it leads. If it leads to some college kids selling them to other college kids to buy beer, leave them alone or a small fine at most.

If it is to illegals and other undesireables, crush them.

[LibertyRocks]

I've tried to address this to people I know that have been on the Norman/OUBombing ping list. My apologies if you were left off, or end up getting notification of this post twice... Indcons, please ping the full list. (o:

UPDATE: Includes more information...
1.) Search Warrant was served 2 weeks ago
2.) Student is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity

Video from Channel 9/Newsok.com:
http://newsok.com/video/1659328/

Students warned of fake Texas driver's licenses
http://www.newsok.com/article/1659328/?template=home/main

NORMAN - Police are warning University of Oklahoma students in possession of fake Texas driver's licenses to turn them in or face prosecution

Two people -- a Dallas man and an OU student -- are under investigation in connection with the manufacture and distribution of a number of the fake licenses, Lt. J. D. Younger said.

Officers seized the OU student's computer from his room at the Kappa Sigma fraternity, 1100 College Ave., about two weeks ago. An examination of the computer's hard drive has resulted in the names and photographs of OU students believed to be in possession of fake Texas identifications, Younger said.

No charges have been filed in connection with the investigation, Younger said.

Students with the fake driver's licenses have until 5 p.m. Nov. 18 to surrender them to police or face charges, Younger said.

A return on a search warrant filed in Cleveland County District Court indicates investigators seized a computer, computer discs, cash and two Texas driver's licenses from the student's room.

Students who possess fake licenses can turn them in at the police department or mail them to detectives Todd Gibson or Chris Amason at the station, 201B W Gray St.

[LibertyRocks]

One of the articles I read in relation to this case (one of the links I posted earlier) indicated that the OU student took pictures, and got signatures that were then sent to the man in Dallas who apparently manufactured the licenses and then sent them back to the student. It's definitely a sophisticated process as you said MizSterious because one LEO was quoted as saying you need a jeweler's eyepiece (sorry forgot the exact term used) to see the mistakes in the IDs themselves...

[hoosierham]

The only logical solution is to return the drinking age to 18 ;if a person is to be treated as an adult for all other issues then this restriction is stupid. Or raise the age of adulthood to 21 for everything..an obviously unworkable idea.

If there were no huge demand by college students for these fake ID the operations would shrink.

And then prosecute the ID counterfeiters just as harshly as currency counterfeiters.

[LibertyRocks]

Well, I've never agreed with the 21 and over alcohol limit... Being married and a mother at 19yo I found it awfully ironic that I was allowed to care for a child and live independently as an adult in all other capacities - completely responsible for my actions - but not be allowed a single alcoholic beverage. (It was rather strange to not be allowed to toast at my wedding!) I also always think of those in the service and how ironic that whole predicament is.

Alcohol is like any other vice - there will always be those who will abuse it and it really has less to do with age than upbringing, character, and understanding of personal responsibility, IMHO. There are also a lot of cases of those who use fake IDs (especially college-age kids) to get into clubs and such not so much to drink, but for the social atmosphere.

I think your solution sounds pretty fair...

[laz]

I wonder if Fazal Cheema has a fake ID. Since he's an atheist and not a practicing Muslim, he wouldn't be averse to drinking, right? ;)