Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Fake-ID sting
nets indictments
against 12

The cards were being used
by underage visitors primarily
at nightclubs, bars and 'booze
cruises' to purchase alcohol

---

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

Twelve people have been indicted for conspiring to produce false identification cards for underage visitors.

"It's dangerous behavior that makes it easy for kids to get into trouble," said Steven Alm, U.S. attorney for the District of Hawaii.

Alm said today that the false identification cards were being used primarily at nightclubs, bars and "booze cruises" to purchase alcohol.

"It relates to other problems, such as drunken driving," Alm said.

The Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Service and Honolulu police were involved in a one-year undercover operation capped by yesterday's indictments, said Alm.

"They took a template of a state identification card and filled in the blanks with information and a digital photo," Alm said, noting that false ID cards sold for between $15 and $35.

State ID templates from Hawaii, Wyoming, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, California, Oregon, Arizona, Michigan and Illinois were available, according to the indictment.

Indicted were:

Christopher Roth, Leon Pang, Bon Eung Koo, David and James Thompson, Maria Teresa Tijerina, Faruk Oktem (a.k.a. John Paul), Andrew Sparrow, Binh Lien Vu Nguyen, Troy Byrd, Raphael Morales and Wesley Thein.

All were doing business as "Island Identification," "Novelty IDs," "Holograms Hawaii," "Fantasy Photos ID," "Alpha Digital" and "Febian Digital Novelty IDs."

"We want people to know you can go to prison for this," said Alm, who believes the undercover operation has put a "significant dent" in the illegal activity in Waikiki.

"Those in law enforcement cannot think of a single legitimate reason for making false identification cards for kids."