Liquor control agents raided Billybob last night, citing four underage people for using fake identification to gain entry into the popular campus bar.
Three plainclothes agents from the Pennsylvania State Police's Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement showed up unannounced at Billybob at around 11:15 p.m., and proceeded to check the IDs of every patron at the bar.
According to LCE Officer Stan Fruman, those cited could receive a fine of anywhere from $50 to $500, depending on the decision of a judge. Fruman would not specify whether those cited were students.
Billybob could get off with just a warning, a large fine or even suspension of its liquor license, depending on its prior record.
The fine could be "more than $1,000 if this is not their first offense," Fruman said. "If they have a clean license, this could end up being a warning."
Billybob owner Thomas Brassell said liquor control agents also visited his establishment shortly after it opened last month in its latest incarnation as a campus bar and hot spot.
Brassell said he was not surprised that the agents dropped by again.
"We are the hottest thing in town, so the LCB's going to show up," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, we're clean."
Billybob, which has seen huge crowds since its re-opening this fall, has earned the reputation among many students as being lenient on IDs.
But Brassell maintained that he and his staff are extremely vigilant about keeping underage drinkers out of Billybob because they can result in citations from LCE agents.
"I basically think we have the reputation of being tight at the door," he said. "We don't really want to serve minors. All minors do is open me up to all types of fines.... There's absolutely no way on earth this is an easy place to get in."
Some students standing outside Billybob last night during the raid disagreed heartily.
"I've literally seen them accept PennCards before," said one student, who asked to remain anonymous.
But Fruman said he believes Billybob employees are careful in trying not to admit underage students.
"I think they do a good job there," he said.
And Brassell said no bar can keep out all under-21 patrons, maintaining that a customer with a "good fake" will be able to get into any establishment.
Fruman said the two fake IDs he saw at Billybob were not convincing, but that even LCE agents are sometimes unable to identify fake IDs.
Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Jo Piazza contributed to this story.
