More than 20 fake IDs were taken and nearly four dozen criminal charges were filed in what Wake County authorities called a crackdown on underage drinking the Glenwood South district of Raleigh.
According to Wake County Board of Alcoholic Control Law Enforcement Division, 23 fake IDs were seized out of approximately 1,100 driver's license checks by law enforcement in the district.
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Authorities also arrested and charged one person with carrying a concealed weapon and filed multiple drug-related charges, but did not specify what those drug charges were.
“Fake IDs aren’t just a minor’s shortcut to alcohol; they’re tools that put businesses at risk and endanger public safety,” said Eric McLeod, assistant chief with Wake ABC. “We are making it harder for underage individuals to access alcohol & easier for establishments to comply with the law.”
According to authorities, “Operation Dry Start” was conducted with help from North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) and the Raleigh Police Department (RPD). The crackdown, authorities said, was focused on stopping underage patrons from obtaining alcohol with fake IDs.
Wake County ABC Law Enforcement said officers on Glenwood South routinely saw people trying to get alcohol with fake IDs, and the Operation Dry Start was aimed at stopping them before they made it inside ABC-permitted bars and restaurants.
WRAL News reached out to the Raleigh Police Department, who declined to comment on the operation, but Wake ABC said they would continue working in other high-traffic nightlife areas in joint operations with RPD and ALE.