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 – Gateway Hispanic

In a rather astonishing episode unfolding in Perrysburg, Ohio, a case of identity fraud has emerged that seems almost too bizarre to be true. Enter Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, a 24-year-old Venezuelan man who cleverly masqueraded as a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor, effectively integrating himself into the fabric of Perrysburg High School for over a year.

The ruse took off in November 2023 when Labrador-Sierra approached school officials, claiming to be a homeless immigrant from Venezuela, trafficked and alone. To bolster his story, he presented a forged birth certificate indicating a birthdate of December 2, 2007, convincingly presenting himself as a minor.

Acting in accordance with federal mandates that require public schools to enroll unhoused minors, Perrysburg Schools admitted him on January 11, 2024, under the alias “Anthony Labrador.” This allowed him the status of an unaccompanied minor devoid of legal guardians.

The narrative grew even more elaborate when a local couple, the Mefferds, took Labrador-Sierra into their home, believing his tale. By early 2024, they were granted temporary guardianship by Wood County Juvenile Court, which later became permanent.

With the Mefferds’ support, he secured essential documents, which included a Social Security number and an Ohio driver’s license. Even more alarmingly, he applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—a program designed to shield certain immigrants from deportation—and received approval based on his fraudulent birthdate.

On February 29, 2024, he submitted another TPS application through the University of Toledo College of Law, again relying on his fabricated birthdate.

In reality, Labrador-Sierra had legally entered the United States in September 2019 on a B-2 tourist visa, aging out of the teenager demographic at 18. His visa expired in 2020, leading to his status as an overstay. U.S. Border Patrol later confirmed his actual birthdate as March 27, 2001.

Despite being a decade older than his claim, he assimilated into school life with surprising ease. He joined the junior varsity soccer team, where his physicality drew curious glances from teammates, with one remarking, “He just looked more built. He looked more like a man.”

His athletic endeavors didn’t stop there, as he also participated in the JV swimming team, forcing the district to report his eligibility—which sparked questions regarding immigrant participation laws.

The deception extended even further. In July 2022, Labrador-Sierra purchased a Taurus G3C 9mm semiautomatic pistol at Bass Pro Shops in Rossford, using a phony Ohio driver’s license and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. Authorities later discovered this firearm beneath his mattress, alongside loaded magazines, cash, a prepaid cell phone, and a counterfeit Michigan driver’s license.

Ultimately, the charade collapsed on May 14, 2025, when a woman identified as E.C. approached the Mefferds, asserting that Labrador-Sierra was the father of her 2-year-old child. She provided evidence, including pictures of him and documents confirming his real identity.

E.C. further shared social media posts identifying him as a father figure, including one celebrating his birthday in a Perrysburg soccer uniform.

When school officials confronted him the following day, Labrador-Sierra was insistent that his 2007 birth certificate was authentic. Subsequently, he was barred from campus pending an inquiry.

Through collaboration with U.S. Border Patrol, the Perrysburg Police confirmed his real age, leading to his arrest on May 19, 2025, during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 75.

Bodycam footage of the arrest documented the moment he was charged with felony forgery at Wood County Municipal Court and held on a $50,000 bond.

On May 21, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer. Local charges were dismissed on May 29, transitioning oversight to federal authorities. By June 25, 2025, a federal grand jury in Ohio indicted him on four serious counts:

• 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)

Prosecutors characterized his fraudulent activities as part of a “complex tapestry of lies.”

Initially, Labrador-Sierra pleaded not guilty. However, on September 22, 2025, he reversed course in Toledo federal court, admitting guilt on all counts. Sentencing is set for January 23, 2026, where he could face up to 30 years behind bars.

This case is a cautionary tale reflecting the vulnerabilities enshrined within the TPS framework, established in 1990 to assist nationals from war-torn or disaster-affected countries. Venezuela was included in this program in 2021, leading to over 500,000 Venezuelans currently retaining TPS status. Critics argue the system is susceptible to exploitation due to lax vetting processes.

As this case draws to a close, it raises significant concerns regarding security and immigration enforcement, particularly when a 24-year-old man, equipped with deceit and armed with a firearm, managed to infiltrate a high school under the guise of vulnerability.

Conservative voices have long warned that lenient enforcement begets abuse. Until the U.S. prioritizes robust vetting processes, curtails visa overstays, and reinforces protections for its citizens, cases like this one will remain a pressing issue, quietly eroding public trust, one fraudulent birth certificate at a time.

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