Blue Shamrock disciplinary hearing continued after police present counterfeit‑ID evidence and on‑site scanner test

A disciplinary proceeding concerning alleged violations of Massachusetts law at the Blue Shamrock, 105 Market St., was continued to May 15 by the Lowell Licensing Commission on April 17 after police described two counterfeit identification cards seized March 1 and demonstrated how the establishment's ID scanner handled those cards.

The Lowell Police Department presented an investigative summary and the confiscated IDs to the commission. Detective Johnny Sam (Lowell Police) described the counterfeit cards to the commission, saying the cards were “noticeably heavier in weight and had less flexibility” than registry‑issued IDs and that photographs on the fake cards were distorted and off‑center. Police officers offered to scan the confiscated cards at the hearing to show the scanner’s response; the commission accepted the demonstration.

Why it matters: The proceeding concerns enforcement of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 138, § 34, which prohibits sale, delivery or furnishing of alcoholic beverages to persons under 21. The commission will ask the city solicitor to provide a legal memorandum clarifying whether admitting an underage person into a licensed bar area can be treated as "furnishing" under the statute; that guidance will help determine whether the Blue Shamrock’s conduct, as alleged, meets the statutory standard.

What happened at the hearing Police report and demonstration: Commission members read a memorandum from the Lowell Police detailing the March 1 investigation and the seizure of two suspected fraudulent IDs. Detective Johnny Sam and other officers described examining the cards and concluded the holograms and physical characteristics were inconsistent with real Massachusetts IDs. Officers asked the licensee to bring the scanner to the meeting; staff connected a mobile hotspot and the device was used to scan the cards at the lectern. The scanner produced limited data for the seized cards and returned error messages when officers attempted to read them, which officers said contrasted with the fuller data returned when scanning a confirmed real Massachusetts ID.

Licensee response: Nicholas Petrakas, licensed manager for Blue Shamrock, told the commission the two females had no drinks in front of them at the time police entered and said his staff now relies primarily on trained bartenders and pin‑light checks in addition to an ID scanner. Petrakas said the scanner is not infallible: “Too many IDs have beat the scanner,” he told the commission, and he described changes in his onsite checking procedures, saying bartenders now use black light and handheld checks as their primary verification. He also offered payroll and roster records if the commission wanted verification of who worked that night.

Commission action and follow up: After extended questioning of police and the licensee, the commission voted to continue the matter to May 15 and requested that the city solicitor prepare a confidential memorandum on the legal issue of whether admitting an underage patron can constitute furnishing under chapter 138, § 34. The commission also asked the licensee to provide the roster and payroll records for the night of the incident and indicated it may request scanning logs or other records as part of the investigation. Commissioners emphasized they wanted case law and ABCC precedent before deciding whether the facts meet the statutory threshold for disciplinary action.

Direct quotations from the record Detective Johnny Sam (Lowell Police): “The cards were noticeably heavier in weight and had less flexibility than registry issued IDs.”

Nicholas Petrakas (Blue Shamrock licensee): “Too many IDs have beat the scanner ... My bartenders use pin lights, both a black light and a regular light, which easily ID you can pick out the IDs.”

Next steps: The commission will review the city solicitor’s memorandum and the records requested from the licensee in advance of the May 15 hearing. The commission advised the licensee it might be prudent to consult counsel; the hearing continuation gives the solicitor time to collect relevant decisions and provide written guidance to the commissioners.

Ending: The Blue Shamrock matter will return to the commission on May 15; the commission also scheduled related disciplinary hearings for other establishments on that date.