Within the past two years, every prosecuted illegal sale of alcohol in DeKalb has involved college students, said DeKalb City Attorney Ron Matekaitis.

“Anybody going to school should have sense enough to know that selling beer is against the law,” said DeKalb Police Lt. Richard Moudy.

Parties investigated by the police involving the illegal sale of alcohol are located in areas surrounding students, such as student housing and Greek Row, Moudy said.

Many of the people serving alcohol at parties do not check the identification of those attending the party, so the hosts might be charged with serving alcohol to minors, which is another crime, he said.

The underage people who accept alcohol at parties also might be arrested because of their age, he said. Noise is the initial reason for investigating parties because of complaints by nearby residents, he said.

Twelve cases of the illegal sale of alcohol have been prosecuted by the city attorney’s office in the past two years, Matekaitis said. It is illegal for anyone to accept money for alcohol at a party, he said.

Fines have deterred students from repeating the offense, he said. Fines can range from $60 and $500, depending on the number of people at the party, the price of admission to the party and another fine based on Matekaitis’s recommendation.

The start of school brings a “turnover of incoming students each year who are unfamiliar with the local ordinances,” Matekaitis said. The sale of alcohol without licenses “usually occurs toward the fall semester and the end of spring semester.”

“We try to let students know what ramifications are involved” with the illegal sale of alcohol, Moudy said.

Student-run parties that sell alcohol are in direct competition with DeKalb taverns, but these parties do not have the insurance needed to protect the participants and hosts, Matekaitis said.

Taverns pay between $75,000 and $100,000 each year for a license and dramshop insurance, he said. Dramshop insurance covers a tavern owner for any damage an intoxicated customer might inflict on himself or others after leaving the tavern.

Non-profit organizations can attain Class G licenses to sell alcohol for a 24-hour period, which involves limited dramshop insurance, Matekaitis said.

Although DeKalb police have investigated parties due to noise complaints, “a good share” of the groups that sponsor them are not organizations, Moudy said.