A bar owner in California was arrested this week for making fake IDs that had nothing to do with drinking, investigators said.
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced on Wednesday that it arrested the owner of the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, California, allegedly for selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards.
The department received a tip that Todd Anderson, 59, was making and selling the cards at his bar, which led to an undercover investigation, the agency said in a statement.
Anderson was selling the cards for $20 apiece, authorities said. At least eight were sold before undercover agents, who said they purchased IDs at the bar “on multiple occasions in April,” shut down the operation. A laminating machine and 30 blank cards were confiscated.
Anderson was charged with falsifying a medical record, falsifying a seal, several counts of identity theft and possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm, authorities said.
Investigators also said they’re seeking a criminal complaint against one of Anderson’s employees who may have been involved in the alleged operation.