After seeing a flyer for an illegal party, Ames police officers got suspicious.

Tuesday night they got busy busting eight Iowa State students for various alcohol violations just in time for spring break. Three students were arrested for bootlegging.

Officers cited five people at the party for possession of alcohol under the legal age.

Erick Ronald Molstad and Eric Alan Simon, seniors in engineering, were charged with bootlegging. They were unavailable for comment. Sonya Rae VanHelden, a senior in psychology, was also charged with bootlegging. VanHelden would not comment Thursday.

According to police records, the party was held at 246 N. Hyland Ave. Police said about 200 people attended throughout the evening.

Bootlegging, the selling of alcohol without a license, is a serious misdemeanor. The students face a fine up to $1,000 or one year in jail.

Dennis Ballantine, Ames chief of police, said not only is there a large fine and the possibility of jail time for bootlegging, but police also confiscate all money earned by the sale of the alcohol and the equipment used, such as kegs and tappers.

He said police confiscated more than $300, a keg and a tapper from the party Tuesday.

“Bootleggers selling alcohol without a license is a fairly common problem with students who like to offset their costs for their parties,” Ballantine said.

Although bootlegging is common, Ballantine said there are usually only one or two arrests in Ames a year.

He said police usually only investigate if they’re tipped off. Seeing a flyer is considered a “good tip.”