GENESEO, NY — In cooperation with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicle’s Fraud Unit, the Geneseo Police Department performed license identification checks at area bars during the evening of Friday, Jan. 29. Twelve violations were issued.

“The detail entailed locating persons using fake or fraudulent identifications while they were attempting to enter a bar or liquor store to purchase alcoholic beverage,” said Geneseo Chief of Police Eric Osganian.

Between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. officers checked license identifications of alcohol purchasers at the Geneseo Sugar Creek, The Statesmen, Kelly’s Tavern, The Vital Spot and The Inn Between.

Ryan Lang, an expert in spotting counterfeit drivers’ licenses, was accompanied by two other members of the DMV fraud unit. Chief Osganian or another officer was stationed in a patrol car near the site of the checks, until called upon to write the ticket.

An unmarked car does not seem to be a necessary element, Chief Osganian suggested.

“Mr. Lang has observed that some of the kids are getting arrogant,” he said. “Even if you put a marked car out front, they don’t care.”

Underage students entering the Statesmen had a plain view of the marked patrol car parked at Orchard Street, yet four still attempted to use fake licenses.

Of twelve licenses confiscated, half were fraudulent out-of-state drivers’ licenses and half were altered or fraudulent New York State driver’s licenses.

Since most checkers are probably unfamiliar with the form and design a drivers licenses from states other than New York, they can be more easily fooled when presented with an out-of-state license.

However, for the bouncer, bartender or clerk checking IDs in Geneseo, an out-of-state license presented by a young person who is probably a SUNY Geneseo student should raise a red flag warning. Only a very small fraction of the students are out-of-staters (who pay higher tuition).

Students’ college ID cards cannot be used for alcohol purchases, since they carry no date of birth. Even so, the college ID can supply a legitimate backup for a fraudulent license which has the person’s actual photo and other physical data.

Violators have informed police that the out-of-state counterfeits, often in Connecticut, Maine or Massachusetts formats, are made by a common vendor in Toronto. You can get your photo and all data included from your real license, but with an earlier date of birth. Cost is reportedly $50.

The fraudulent New York State licenses, which are cropping up with increasing frequency, may be from a source closer to home.

One counterfiet was an authentic looking replica of the person’s actual license, but with the actual 1992 birth date changed to 1987. Investigator Ryan, however, is trained in the detection of subtle differences, and can nearly always spot a fake with casual handling and examination.

“There are a bunch of watermarks and what-nots that the fakes will not have,” Osganian explained.

To date, no violator has revealed the specific name-and-location source of his fake card and police have not subjected violators to a degree of interrogation under which they might make such a revelation.

“We can’t go to Canada, but Ryan may have some connections up there,” Chief Osganian said.

Violators are charged with “possession of a fraudulent fictitious license,” a traffic citation equivalent in degree to a seat belt ticket. This level of the ‘crime’ does not warrant mobilizing police investigative resources.

Police do have the alternative of charging possessors with the penal law crime of forgery, but have not opted to do so.

“We’re not really out to hammer these kids,” Osganian said, “but, yes, they are altering a state document with the intent to defraud somebody, so the serious charge could probably stick.”

While the police sting is underway in a bar, Lang simply stands at the door next to the bouncer and observes the licenses as they are presented. At Sugar Creek, he waited outside the store (in the car on a cold night) and then presented his credentials to suspicious looking beer purchasers as they were departing, asking them to show him the ID they had presented to the clerk.

See complete story in our Feb. 4 print edition.