On Dec. 4, the smoke from a smoldering candle swirled upward in an unoccupied room on the second floor of Dolan Hall, alerting Public Safety to investigate what had set off the smoke detector.
This incident spurred police investigation into a false identification operation, which resulted in the arrest of a Fairfield student, according to a police report.
Public Safety officers discovered a laminator, spray adhesive, a license cutter and six fake New York State driver licenses, all of the necessary tools to conduct a fake identification business, according to a Connecticut Post article .
Taras Kulynych ’09 was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery, the article said. He was released on bond pending arraignment in Superior Court.
Frank Ficko, associate director of Public Safety, declined to discuss the particulars of the case.
When The Mirror contacted Kulynych, he referred comment to his lawyer, Robert Bellitto, who said that he does not discuss his clients while they are involved in pending cases.
“As of right now, the case is pending, and no further arrests have been made,” said Lt. Michael Walsh of the Fairfield Police Department. “Fairfield University security officers were the first on the scene, but to my knowledge, there was conclusive evidence in the room that false identifications were being produced.”
Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino said that student confidentiality and the school’s privacy policy prevent him from answering specific questions concerning the case.
“The University takes seriously all forms of intentional misrepresentation or providing of false information,” he said.
“Honesty and integrity go to the heart of our mission as an educational institution, and we therefore react quickly to issues of dishonesty arising both in the classroom (e.g., academic dishonesty) and outside the classroom,” Pellegrino said in an e-mail.
According to many students on campus, fake licenses are not hard to come by and many use them on a consistent basis.
Kevin Manke ’10 said he had false identification last year and paid for it with a night in jail after police raided the bar that was formerly known as The Blue. The bar, located in Bridgeport, is now called The Snickering Squirrel
“That was the worst night of my life. There were so many kids in there using fake IDs,” he said. “The administration cannot do much to stop kids from getting them. If one kid who makes them get arrested, another will pop up eventually.”
Paulina Rys ’10 agreed, and said she thinks about 60 percent of her friends have a fake ID.
“I think a big reason for fake identification usage is the drinking age,” she said. “Kids do it because to go out to most bars and have a good time, you have to be over 21.”
The popularity of fake IDs on college campuses makes the enterprise of creating them seem even more lucrative. However, Walsh said that any student who is in possession of one is in clear violation of the law.
“If we find any students who have false identification, they are committing a crime,” he said. “It is illegal to falsely represent yourself, in addition to being an act of forgery, to physically sign someone else’s name on a fake license.”
FUSA President Hutch Williams ’08 said he did not recognize widespread usage of fake IDs on Fairfield’s campus.
“I don’t think too many kids have one,” he said. “Most of my friends are seniors now, but I still don’t think many of them ever had them.”
Pellegrino also said that the charge against Kulynych is one that is against the school’s code of conduct.
“Under our code of conduct, the creation, manufacturing and/or distribution of false identification, whether or not for profit, is strictly prohibited and would be subject for dismissal from the institution,” he said. “The code of conduct also expressly prohibits the possession or use of false identification.”
Despite state laws and school policies, which strictly prohibit the usage and creation of fraudulent material, students said that their peers still use fake IDs on a regular basis.
“I think a majority of kids have them,” said Jen Curtis ’10. “Especially since kids have a lot of money, it is real easy for them to get them.”
“It doesn’t matter what the administration does,” said Jack Meagher ’11. “If you look hard enough, you can always find something.”
Lisa Newton, director of applied ethics and the environmental studies program, emphasized how great of an offense this is in the eyes of the law.
“Selling false identifications permits the seller to profit from dealing in counterfeit goods, involves the purchaser in fraud and deception, and endangers the public’s safety by making it possible for an unqualified individual to procure and consume alcoholic beverages and operate a motor vehicle,” she said. “Selling fake licenses involves both seller and buyer in lying, cheating and stealing, and endangers the safety of everyone.”
Another incident of forged licenses occurred Saturday, when the police confiscated over 13 fake licenses in a raid of Club Azur in Bridgeport, Conn., formerly known as Clubhouse Cafe, according to a published report.
Two Fairfield students were arrested; one junior was allegedly found with a fake ID and charged with criminal impersonation and a senior student, who police said was intoxicated, was charged with “interfering with police,” according to the report.
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