
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 28, 1990                   TAG: 9004280410
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Neal Thompson New River Valley Bureau
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

FAKE ID SALES PROMPT ANOTHER ARREST AT TECH

Police have arrested another Virginia Tech student on charges of making and selling fake identification cards.

John Sherman Kern II, 20, who lives in the 800 block of Claytor Square, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, Blacksburg police said Friday.

Kern, who is from Fairfax, was charged with manufacturing and selling false IDs. His arrest came after a six-month investigation by Blacksburg police and two federal agencies into the thriving business of illegal ID and license manufacturing around Tech.

Kern was arrested hours after a Montgomery County General District Court judge in Blacksburg convicted another student - Kelvin Mao, 20, of Emmaus, Pa. - on two charges of making fake Pennsylvania driver's licenses and selling hundreds of them to students for $30 each.

Judge Thomas Frith said he felt no compassion for Mao and sentenced him to a year in jail and fined him $1,000. Mao's attorney said he will appeal.

That same day, nine students charged with possessing some of the licenses were convicted or had their cases taken under advisement.

Another student, James L. Plumley, 19, of Beaver, W.Va., has been charged with making fake Pennsylvania licenses and is scheduled to be tried May 23.

Kern was released on a $1,000 bond and also was scheduled to be tried May 23.

Kern is not charged with making licenses, but with making federal "Department of Motor Vehicles" ID cards, according to a statement by Blacksburg police.

Police said the cards were sold to students during the fall semester from August to December. They did not say how many cards were involved.

State Department of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Tammy Jones in Roanoke said the state issues cards as forms of identification for people who don't drive. But she said she knew of no federal ID card that serves the same purpose.

The U.S. Secret Service and Social Security Administration assisted Blacksburg police in the investigation. The investigation will continue with more arrests possible, the statement said.

by CNB