def get_custodian(conn, custodian):
    """
    The get_custodian function checks the database for a
        custodian and  returns the ID if present
    :param conn: The sqlite3 database connection object
    :param custodian: The name of the custodian
    :return: The custodian ID
    """
    cur = conn.cursor()
    sql = "SELECT cust_id FROM Custodians "\
          "WHERE name='{}';".format(custodian)
    cur.execute(sql)
    data = cur.fetchone()
    return data