A Sugar House bar is warning other drinking establishments about advanced fake IDs, after it was the target of a law enforcement operation that found evidence of underage drinking on the premises.
SugarHouse Pub said in a statement through its attorney, Tanner Lenart, that “SugarHouse Pub IDs every customer who enters the bar, using a state-approved scanning device. Any customer who fails an ID check is denied entry.”
“We would like to take this opportunity to make other bar owners aware of how sophisticated fake IDs have become, how easily they are obtained by minors, and to encourage everyone to be more vigilant,” the statement continued.
SugarHouse Pub is temporarily closed, according to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS). The agency issued an emergency order to suspend the bar’s liquor license on Dec. 6, a day after Utah law enforcement announced it had issued dozens of criminal citations to underage bar customers.
Hillary Koellner, spokesperson for the Utah Department of Public Safety, said that fake IDs are becoming more prevalent. “Today’s technology is making it harder because they are becoming more available and definitely fancier than in past years,” she said.
Dave Morris, who co-owns Handlebar and also operates Piper Down, Ice Haus, Funk ‘N Dive, Citizens Cocktails & Kitchen and Harp & Hound, said he’s noticed the use of fake IDs increasing lately. “It’s always been a bit of a thing, but now the fakes are so good,” he said.
Morris said his door staff are trained to use ID scanners “as a tool and not a crutch,” and said that if someone presents an out-of-state ID and looks younger than 25, “there should be sirens going off in your brain.”
If a staffer encounters an ID that looks fake, Morris said they’ll usually challenge the person, and often the person will just walk away.
At Hopkins Brewing Company, if door staff encounter a suspicious ID, they’ll usually quiz the person about the information on the card in case they’re trying to use a friend’s ID, said owner Chad Hopkins.
Their scanner also has the ability to keep notes on file, so if someone who has been “86′ed” from the bar tries to return, an alert will come up, Hopkins said.
Sean Neves, co-owner of Bar Nohm, Water Witch and the soon-to-open Remora, said his staffers keep a list of people who have tried to use fake IDs, in case they try to come back or go to another local bar. He added that some people think that bars are places to just go get drunk, but “we don’t want overservice to occur,” he said. “We don’t want people to be drunk in our bars.”
“We certainly don’t want underage people in our bars at all,” Neves continued. “And so we’re sort of the first line of defense.”
In a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, DABS spokesperson Michelle Schmitt said the agency “is aware of sophisticated fake IDs that are in the hands of minors who attempt to use them to obtain alcoholic products. The large majority of hospitality business owners are responsible and safety-minded. They do everything they can to ensure robust safety measures at their establishments and to stop underage drinking on their watch.”
“The DABS appreciates their extra efforts to ask questions of younger people entering their establishments and scrutinizing IDs when additional age verification may be needed,” Schmitt continued.
SugarHouse Pub, at 1994 S. 1100 East in Salt Lake City, was investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation over several months, as agents gathered evidence of underage drinking, overservice and the use of fake IDs by minors, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.
The investigation culminated in a four-hour “targeted enforcement operation” on Nov. 22, when 186 criminal citations were issued to people under 21 at SugarHouse Pub. The department said officers also seized 50 fake IDs and booked them into evidence, and found six 17-year-olds among the bar’s patrons.
The department formally referred the case to the DABS for administrative action against the bar. DABS issued its suspension of the bar’s license, pending its own investigation, a day after the operation was announced.
SugarHouse Pub said in its statement it was “currently working with the DABS towards a resolution.”
