Fingerprints are not subject to the same interpretation issues as ear comparisons — they either match or they don’t, and the Interpol system is designed specifically to make this determination reliably.

Bourdin was arrested in January 1998.

The Federal Proceedings

The federal case against Frédéric Bourdin was legally straightforward, even if the underlying factual situation was complex.

He had obtained fraudulent travel documents — specifically, a US passport in the name of Nicholas Barclay — by making false claims to US government officials.

This constituted federal passport fraud.

He had testified under oath to being Nicholas Barclay in various official proceedings, which constituted perjury.

Both of these were serious federal crimes, and the prosecution’s case was not difficult to make once his real identity was established.