This Spring, a Columbia College football player, Anthony Johnson, CC'13 was arrested for ordering 42 fake IDs. The price paid was $62 dollars each, and Johnson admitted to charging $64 each. Really bad idea. Anthony Johnson got arrested for a $2 dollar profit scheme. If Columbia had its own version of Keith Olbermann's Worse Persons List, Johnson might make the cut. But it's a college in the middle of New York City - to some, a veritable party playground, and the demand for alcohol, 21 or otherwise, is great.

But just because students will gladly shell out for the chance to drink at a bar, doesn't mean it's that easy. Here at the Abbey Pub on 105th and Broadway, the door-sign message is clear: "You Must Be 21 To Enter."  O'Connell's down the street on 108th and Broadway is no different. Their permanent gold-plated sign reads: "I.D. Required - MGMT"

But that sure doesn't keep students from trying.  One Columbia College undergrad shared her story with CTV.  Here's how she got her fake I.D.: "Freshman year I was on a dance team and one of the girls said that if you pay $100, they will send it to some guy who knows some other guy in NJ who prints the IDs. I just gave my money, the information that was to be on the card (address, weight, so on) as well as a picture of myself. It was taken up at Webster Hall when I wasn't even meaning to use it. The guy just took one look at it and put in his pocket and said "show me your real ID."

Sorry guys. Looks like Webster Hall is out. So where do Columbians hang out? Students say 1020 and SIP Bar on Amsterdam Avenue. No "Must be 21" door-sign in sight. But the Happy Hour sign at SIP reads: "Flex Cards Accepted." According to the Dining Office, Flex does not allow alcohol purchases. So, which one is Columbia's go to bar? 

Columbia Undergrad, Michael Young says, "I think 1020 is the go to place, that I hear from most people. It's close. It's always really crowded with mostly Columbia people. I feel like I've been carded everywhere, to be honest."

 While having a fake I.D. might seem cool, it isn't worth the risk. Because possessing a fake ID in the state of New York is a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.