I understand your point but starting his case with an obvious lie makes him criminal to begin with.
His original passport was washed with his clothes?
Really?
And then they find his original passport upon a second pas?
He is already making a case his future
(SNIP)...old one, which was not set to expire until 2013, had been canceled, but it was not immediately clear why...
It would appear that the old one was canceled. That makes his possession of it irrelivent. I don’t know why he lied, but people do some pretty silly things when they are nervous. Hence the best advice is always to exercise your 4th and 5th amendment rights.