OK, just to start, I went to one of my friends houses to hang out. Now, I don't want to get him in trouble or nothing, but I was quite nosey, and poking around in his room while he stepped out real quick, you know, checking out things he has, and I accidentally knocked a shoebox off a shelf in his closet, and it lands on its side, and four passports fell out. At first I didn't think anything of it, but when I noticed they were for four different countries, and had four different names, but they all had HIS picture on them.

When he came back in the room, he saw me looking at the passports, and I instantly questioned him about them, and his exact words were "They uh, were for some kind of play I did at school, and uh, I you know, thought I would keep them, you know, as souvenirs." I played it off as if I believed him, but I don't remember him being in any plays, although his school did have a lot of plays, plus the passports looked like the real deal. Later that night I found them, when he was asleep, I went back into his closet to get a closer look at the passports, but the shoebox had been duct taped closed.

Basically I am just wondering, what should I do? Should I have someone look into it? Should I risk our friendship? What if I have someone look into it, and they're just props, will I get in trouble for false accusation or whatever? I'm more worried about what will happen to me cause I already have some unplesent things on my record.

If I were you I would forget I ever saw those passports. It sounds like a real nest of vipers for both you and he.

Try hiring a PI, and have him come back to YOU with any and all information found on your friend, and then go from there. Or, do a little of your own investigating, go to the school he went/goes to and find out if they ever did a play that included props of passports.

It is possible to have multiple citizenships, if his parents are both from different countries and he was born in the US he has the right to have 3 passports, the 4th could be the grandparents ancestry.

How old is he and how old are you? He may simply not want to get into why he has multiple citizenships.

He an I are both 21. As for his parents, they were both born and raised here in the good 'ol USA. I don't know about his grandparents though. And I thought about hiring a PI, but I wouldn't know where to begin, how much it would cost, and all that. I also thought about pretending I never saw them, but just not sure if that's the right thing to do.

Besides, why would they all have his picture, but they have different names? Wouldn't they all have HIS name and not some other name?

Well, did you get any kind of good look at them? Were any of the for a US passport? Basically if they looked like cheaply made passports then maybe they are props from a play, if they looked real they're either real or forgeries.

I would try casually asking where his grandparents are from, if they are from other countries it might be possible that they could all be real passports.

A PI would probably charge around $50.00 an hour at least.

Oh, I missed the 4 other names part. Yeah, that realistically leaves fakes or movie props. Did they feel like a real passport, the cover is usually really glossy flexible cardboard and the second page is laminated ?

I could tell these were the real deal, I know what passport look like, I was just wondering why he would have four of them, and not use his correct name. I saw one I think was Japan, and another was Korea, and unsure of the other two, but I don't think any were US

Hello helper:

Yeah, you're not going to like this. Dude, it ain't none of your business!

Of course, if what I just said made any sense to you at all, you wouldn't have snooped in the first place, and you certainly wouldn't be acting like Jr. G-man right now.

I know you won't get this, but if you want friends in your life, this ISN'T what you do to them.

excon

Also to add, a PI wouldn't be able to find out much if you don't have the 4 names on the passports. You could give the info to police or immigration but is that what you want to do? There still could be a reasonable explanation.

It would seem odd that props for a play required passports from different countries. People in the audience probably won't notice either way, and it seems a lot of trouble to go to for a play.

Jason Bourne?? Nah...

If you have a friend that works in law enforcement, I would consult with them, but reporting it is your own thing. It depends on what you believe. If you knew your friend had stolen a candy bar without getting caught would you turn him in; what about if you knew he raped a girl? Where do we draw the line as far as protecting our friends? Is he a good friend? Friends don't let friends drive drunk, but do they let them hold multiple possible illegal passports?
No, you can't get in trouble for false accusation. It happens all the time. If it went to court, your friend lost his job, and it turned out that you were wrong, there might be a possibility of a tort case against you. Just do what you feel is right.

[QUOTE=Auttajasi]it seems a lot of trouble to go to for a play.

Jason Bourne?? Nah...

If you have a friend that works in law enforcement,QUOTE]

That's funny you bring up Jason Bourne, but no, unlike Jason Bourne, my buddy knows his name, knows what he does, and he certainly can't fight for s***!