24-year-old Venezuelan who posed as a 16-year-old student at an Ohio school for 15 months faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and forgery
In the quiet suburb of Perrysburg, Ohio, a stunning case of identity fraud unfolded. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, a 24-year-old Venezuelan national, allegedly infiltrated Perrysburg High School. He posed as a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor. This deception lasted more than 15 months.
The scheme began in November 2023. Labrador-Sierra contacted school officials. He claimed to be a homeless immigrant trafficked from Venezuela. He presented a forged Venezuelan birth certificate. It listed his birthdate as December 2, 2007. This made him appear 16 years old.
Federal law requires public schools to enroll unhoused students. Perrysburg Schools followed protocol. They admitted him on January 11, 2024, under the name «Anthony Labrador.» He qualified as an unaccompanied minor without legal guardians.
A local couple stepped in as hosts. They believed his trafficking story. The Mefferds, as identified in police reports, welcomed him into their home. Wood County Juvenile Court granted them temporary guardianship in early 2024. This later became permanent.
With their help, Labrador-Sierra obtained official documents. He secured a Social Security number. He got an Ohio driver’s license. He even applied for federal Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS shields certain immigrants from deportation. It allows work authorization.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved his TPS. He used the forged birthdate. On February 29, 2024, he submitted another application. This time through the University of Toledo College of Law. Again, he claimed the 2007 birthdate.
Labrador-Sierra entered the U.S. legally in September 2019. He arrived at Miami International Airport on a B-2 tourist visa. At age 18, he overstayed. His visa expired in 2020. U.S. Border Patrol later confirmed his true birthdate: March 27, 2001.
He blended into school life seamlessly. Labrador-Sierra joined the junior varsity soccer team. He played against freshmen as young as 14. Teammates noted his build. “He just looked more built. He looked more like a man,” one player told local media.
He also swam for the JV team. The district reported his participation to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Questions arose about eligibility rules for immigrants.
The fraud extended beyond school. In July 2022, he bought a Taurus G3C 9mm semiautomatic pistol. He purchased it at Bass Pro Shops in Rossford, Ohio. On the ATF Form 4473, he lied. He claimed U.S. citizenship. He used a fraudulent Ohio driver’s license.
An ATF trace confirmed the details. The gun was found hidden under his mattress. Along with it: three loaded 9mm magazines, cash, a prepaid cell phone, and a fake Michigan driver’s license. The fake ID listed a 1999 birthdate.
The unraveling came on May 14, 2025. A woman named E.C. contacted the Mefferds. She claimed Labrador-Sierra was the father of her 2-year-old child. She sent proof: photos of an Ohio driver’s license and Social Security card. Both showed the 2001 birthdate.
E.C. shared Facebook images. One showed her with Labrador-Sierra. Another depicted him with the child. Additional posts from a supposed family member’s account surfaced. A March 27 photo captioned “Happy birthday son” showed him in a Perrysburg soccer uniform.
Administrators met with Labrador-Sierra on May 15, 2025. He denied everything. He insisted the 2007 birth certificate was real. The school barred him from campus pending investigation.
Perrysburg Police launched a probe. They coordinated with U.S. Border Patrol. Confirmation came swiftly: he was 24, an overstay, and illegally present.
On May 19, 2025, officers arrested him during a traffic stop on Interstate 75. Bodycam footage captured the moment. He was charged with felony forgery in Wood County Municipal Court. Bond was set at $50,000.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acted fast. On May 21, 2025, they lodged a detainer.
Local charges were dropped on May 29, 2025. Federal authorities took over. On May 22, a criminal complaint detailed the fraud.
By June 25, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted him. The four-count indictment came from the Northern District of Ohio. Charges included:
- Possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the U.S. (up to 15 years).
- Making a false statement during firearm purchase (up to 10 years).
- Two counts of making or using false writings/documents (up to 5 years each).
He allegedly falsified TPS and employment authorization applications in 2024 and 2025. Prosecutors called it a “complex tapestry of lies.”Labrador-Sierra pleaded not guilty on July 2, 2025. A pretrial conference occurred in June. The case progressed steadily.
On September 22, 2025, he changed course. In Toledo federal court, he pleaded guilty to all four counts. Sentencing is set for January 23, 2026. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
This incident highlights TPS vulnerabilities. Enacted in 1990, TPS aids nationals from war-torn or disaster-hit countries. Venezuela qualified in 2021 due to crisis. Over 500,000 Venezuelans hold TPS as of 2025. Critics argue it enables fraud without rigorous checks.
As this saga closes—for now—one can’t ignore the deeper rot. A grown man, armed and deceptive, wormed his way into the heart of American youth, exploiting compassion meant for the truly vulnerable.
Lax borders, abused programs like TPS, and unchecked federal mandates turned a suburb’s goodwill into a breach of safety.Conservatives have long warned: open invitations invite predators. Until enforcement hardens—vetting documents, sealing overstays, prioritizing citizens—such invasions won’t end.
They erode trust, one forged birth certificate at a time. What price for unchecked mercy?
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