An elaborate fake ID ring involving hundreds of students and thousands of dollars was uncovered by the concerns of one University student, according to search warrants filed in Athens-Clarke County. As a result, it has put four University students and one Gainesville State College student in the sights of area law enforcement.

The details from the evidence gathered from the ringleaders’ homes, email addresses and bank accounts show cell phone pictures, couriers, holograms, magnetic strips and high-tech printers were all part of the scheme. The IDs, which were sold for between $50 and $100, were distributed to many parts of campus with their starting point generating from a gated apartment complex on the East side of Athens.

The investigation is ongoing, and documents showed search warrants started as early as September 2011. Only one person has been arrested as a result of the probe.

University police have unraveled a fake ID ring involving numerous students from the University and GSC. KRISTY DENSMORE/Staff

The investigation began in a simple fashion — a single student complaint to a freshman housing resident assistant. University police were first made aware of the fakes being circulated on Aug. 16, after police met with the RA, according to documents obtained by The Red & Black. The RA told police University student Ashley Hampton “has been giving out ‘fake IDs’” and “there was a conflict between her and her roommate.”

“A student came to her and advised that she believes that a person known to her is selling fraudulent identification cards,” according to the documents and “she did not want to get in trouble along with Hampton because of Hampton selling ‘fake ids.’”

University police approached Hampton about the accusation, and she reportedly stated she was not manufacturing the IDs. Instead, she said a Gainesville State College student, was the one who was making and providing the IDs to her for distribution, according to the documents.

The report went on to say Hampton would get students to send her descriptors and photographs which she would then relay to the GSC student. The IDs would then be made and Hampton would pick them up at his residence.

“On the day we started the investigation, we arrested [Hampton] to keep her from talking to anybody else,” said University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson.

A warrant for Hampton’s arrest was sought Sept. 22 on a felony charge of possession and distribution of fraudulent identifications, and she was booked into the Athens Clarke County jail the same day.

Hampton declined  to comment.

Hampton’s information led law enforcement to seek a search warrant on the GSC student’s home at The Summit of Athens, a subdivision off of Barnett Shoals Road. Police seized laptops, iPhones, ID printers, 200 blank white magnetic strip ID cards and hologrammed laminates of Georgia, Florida, New Jersey and South Carolina driver’s licenses.

While investigating the GSC student, police found a link to his roommate — a University student, who the documents allege “was instrumental in the making and distributing of fraudulent identifications.” The University student also had a room at the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house, of which he was a member at the time. In a search warrant of Lambda Chi Alpha, police found fake licenses from Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Delaware as well as drug paraphernalia and a plastic bag with five Sour Patch Kids watermelon gummy candies that were suspected to be laced with acid, according to the documents.

The documents allege the University student told many customers to pick up the IDs at the house and “several members” were aware of the operation. Documents state he “has various emails asking people to meet him at his fraternity house in order to pick up their fake ids.”

The University student declined to comment.

While looking through the GSC student’s iPhone, police reportedly found text messages concerning fake IDs between him and a female University student. The texts unveiled the names of 17 people looking to receive fake IDs.

“The text messages listed out names of individuals whose fake IDs needed to be picked up,” documents state. “Those names were also cross referenced with the University of Georgia and Gainesville State College online student directory. Five names out of the 17 names were confirmed as UGA students.”

The female student admitted to selling more than 30 fake IDs, according to the documents.

She said she took pictures using her cell phone and sent the customer’s information to the GSC student so he could make the fake ids, according to affidavits.

Early on in the investigation, students with fake IDs had the option to turn them in to University police without facing charges. Officers had collected more than 300 of the cards at the time, according to Williamson.

University police hopes to close the investigation by the middle of the semester and Williamson expects “a multitude of arrests.”

“We are looking at every angle and there are many angles that could take us to other institutions and other geographic locations,” Williamson said.