In Perrysburg, Ohio, Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra was perceived as a 16-year-old by both his classmates and the guardians who took him in. Tragically, he was a victim of human trafficking.
However, there was a significant catch.
In reality, he was 24 years old and had a child with his former fiancée who lived in Toledo.
For over a year, he managed to dupe everyone, presenting a forged birth certificate that falsely reduced his age by six years.
It all unraveled one evening when Evelyn Camacho, 22, the mother of Labrador-Sierra’s child, reached out to the home where he was staying.
He was living with a couple, Kathy and Brad Mefferd, both in their 60s, who answered her call.
“I was confused about the truth,” Camacho explained. “Did he deceive me about his age, or was he lying to them about being a minor? I was caught in the middle. I care about him; he is the father of my daughter,” she recounted to The Post.
The Mefferds reported the situation to the school, which contacted law enforcement. A search of Labrador-Sierra’s living space revealed disturbing items such as a burner phone, counterfeit identification, a semi-automatic firearm, and three loaded 9mm magazines as stated in the arrest affidavit.
Subsequently, Labrador-Sierra pleaded guilty to providing false information on immigration documents and on a firearm purchase application.
He has been handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and faces the potential of decades behind bars.
What motivated his actions? “That’s a valid question,” Camacho, a U.S. citizen, confided to The Post.
“Probably, only he can explain why he did this—maybe not even him. Anthony acts on impulse,” she shared.
This incident has shocked the small community of 25,000 residents, who wonder how Labrador-Sierra could so easily fool authorities.
“People were certainly taken aback,” said a local soccer mom, whose son attended Perrysburg High and knew Labrador. “Our community is largely conservative. Many people were saying, ‘How did this happen, how did he get past the school officials?’”
The Perrysburg Schools issued a statement acknowledging, “We have conducted a thorough review of our enrollment process and confirm adherence to federal law.”
“Schools are mandated to immediately enroll unaccompanied minors without the typical paperwork. While we were not required to, we willingly acquired a birth certificate,” the statement continued.
A report from the Perrysburg Police Division details that Anthony’s story began on November 1, 2023, when he inquired about enrolling in Perrysburg Schools.
According to the report, he claimed to be homeless, an immigrant from Venezuela, and a victim of human trafficking, expressing a desire to become a student there.
On January 13, 2024, he met with school officials and presented a birth certificate that suggested his birth date was December 2, 2007, although the issuing country remains unknown.
He began living with the Mefferds on March 24, and they were granted permanent guardianship in November 2024.
To outward appearances, Labrador-Sierra seemed to be just another high school kid finding refuge in this quaint town.
A soccer mom mentioned that her son played on the varsity team, recalling how Labrador-Sierra was well-liked, even though he only made the junior varsity. “He had charm and was nice to everyone,” she described. “In retrospect, he did seem physically older than most teenagers, and he was more mature.”
Despite having visible tattoos, he blended in well enough that during a dinner hosted by a family for the soccer team, nobody suspected anything untoward.
However, Ohio State Representative Haraz N. Ghanbari held the school accountable for not investigating Labrador-Sierra’s claims more thoroughly.
“Customs and Border Patrol should have been involved in this situation to look into the trafficking claims,” he asserted to The Post, emphasizing that it would have benefited everyone involved, especially to ascertain his authenticity.
“They would have done a background check and a biometrics scan, instantly flagging the discrepancies with his claimed birthdate,” he elaborated.
Camacho eventually found Labrador-Sierra through mutual acquaintances but had never intended for him to end up in custody.
“What frustrates me the most is that while I struggled to provide for our daughter, he was living carefree as though he was just another teenager without a care in the world. He was taken care of while I was desperate to give my child what she needed,” she lamented.
