BOSTON — Criminal impersonation and forgery have one thing in common…they are both crimes millions of college students are committing. More and more underage college students are purchasing fake identification cards or even another person’s license. What they do not realize is that they are committing an actual felony which could put them in jail.

Binge drinking and “bar hopping” is the typical scene for the average under-age college student. This is more common in urban areas where many bars and clubs are located. Suffolk University, Boston College, Emerson, and Northeastern University are some of the major colleges in which students own fake IDs.

“Students are frequently caught as a result of the Boston police department’s ‘Cops in Shops’ program, in which officers stake out liquor stores in the vicinity of the school,” said D. Michael Ryan, Boston University associate dean for student development. “Others are picked up during police raids on bars and clubs, and some even accidentally show their fraudulent ID to a police officer or they drop their wallet, containing a fake ID, and someone picks it up and turns it in.”

Students do not realize they could be punished in two areas for the conduct of misrepresenting their identity. The first is the use of the fake identification to do something and second is the tampering or falsification of the actual identification card. They are committing felonies which could be punished by time spent in a state prison, usually in excess of one year. Criminal impersonation and tampering with a public record are both Class 6 felonies. The punishment usually includes six months to 1 1/2 years in jail.

On September 10, 2001, an article in The Boston Herald confirmed that police in Allston and Brighton arrested over 50 minors for liquor-related offenses, including 16 who were summoned to court in one weekend. Students were from several local colleges, including Boston College and Boston University.

With these incidents, students are still not fearful of using fake IDs. Boston bars are becoming more strict about who they are letting in because of the intensified pressure from police. However, most under-age college students still find their way into the bars. What they do not realize is that they are not only putting themselves in jeopardy, but also the bar itself. Bar owners and bartenders can be charged for allowing the underage drinking, even if they are unaware of it.

“I don’t see the harm in it, as long as you don’t act stupid at bars and you’re under control. Everyone I know has a fake ID, if you don’t have one then basically you don’t have a life,” said a Suffolk University student.

What are you going to wear tonight? How are you going to do your hair? Where are we going to pre-game before we go to the bars? How many girls do you think I can take home with me tonight from the bar? These are the questions going through underage college student’s minds. Never the thoughts of getting arrested, paying a fine, going to jail, or getting bar owners in trouble.