Venezuelan man arrested after posing as teen to enroll in Ohio high school

A 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela was arrested in Perrysburg, Ohio, after he allegedly enrolled in a public high school using fraudulent documents.

Court records show that 24-year-old Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra has been charged with forgery, and he is being held on $50,000 bond. The Perrysburg Police Department said it was contacted by the Perrysburg Local Schools on Monday about possible fraudulent activity involving one of its students.

After a preliminary investigation, a fraud case was established and handed over to the department’s detectives for further investigation.

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Detectives worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and it was discovered that Labrador was a 24-year-old from Venezuela.

Investigators also learned Labrador Sierra used fraudulent documents to enroll in Perrysburg Schools and was posing as a 16-year-old student.

Perrysburg School officials said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that Labrador Sierra had been enrolled at Perrysburg High School under the name and age of a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor on Jan. 11, 2024, in accordance with federal and state requirements for enrolling students experiencing homelessness or without a legal guardian.

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Between Jan. 11, 2024 and May 14, 2025, the school said Labrador Sierra obtained documentation and support, further complicating the situation. For instance, he obtained a state-issued driver’s license, social security number and Temporary Protective Status (TPS) from U.S. Immigrations.

The school also said Labrador completed an application for a visa with help from Advocating Opportunities, which provides free legal assistance.

The Wood County Juvenile Court granted guardianship of Labrador Sierra to a Perrysburg family.

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School officials said the guardians contacted the school on May 14 to report they had received information indicating Labrador Sierra was not a minor, but instead a 24-year-old man.

Labrador Sierra reportedly denied the allegation when district administrators met with him on May 15.

“Given the seriousness of the claim, Perrysburg Schools immediately directed the guardians to keep Labrador off school property while the matter was investigated further,” the school said. “This case involves highly unusual and deceptive circumstances that impacted many local, state and federal agencies.”

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“The school district has reviewed its actions regarding enrollment and is confident proper legal channels were followed to provide support for an individual presenting themselves as an unaccompanied minor as spelled out in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act,” the district added. “We appreciate our close partnership with the Perrysburg Police Division and the swift action taken.”

The school also updated the statement, saying Labrador Sierra had been a member of the junior varsity soccer and swim teams, adding the situation has been reported to the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

Labrador Sierra was ultimately taken into custody during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 on Tuesday afternoon.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News they have located Labrador Sierra’s information under a different spelling of his name. They added that Labrador Sierra is a visa overstay who first came to the U.S. in 2019. DHS also confirmed Labrador has received TPS.

Labrador is being held in the Wood County Jail on $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 29.