Authorities in Perrysburg, Ohio, have arrested a 24-year-old Venezuelan man who allegedly posed as a teenager to enroll in a local high school.
Venezuelan man arrested for posing as a teenager
Identified by law enforcement as Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, the Venezuelan man is now facing identity fraud charges after pretending to be a 16-year-old student for over a year.
Police reports indicate that Labrador Sierra initially approached Perrysburg Schools in November 2023, claiming to be a homeless immigrant and a victim of human trafficking.
He reportedly presented a Venezuelan birth certificate listing his birthdate as December 2, 2007.
The document allowed him to enter the school district by January 2024, where he joined the high school soccer and swim teams.
In addition to gaining access to the school, Labrador Sierra was placed with a local family known for hosting exchange students and adopting children.
By May 2024, the family was granted temporary guardianship of him. Later that year, in November, they received permanent guardianship and helped him secure both a Social Security number and an Ohio driver’s license.
High school student’s baby mama reveals identity
Labrador Sierra’s deception began to unravel on May 14, 2025, when a woman named Evelyn Camacho contacted the guardians, the Mefferds, with a shocking claim about his actual identity.
“Evelyn told the Mefferd’s [the family housing him] that Anthony was actually 24 years old and he was the father of her child,” the police report stated.
“Evelyn then sent the Mefferd’s a picture of an Ohio Driver’s License and Social Security card under the name Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra.”
“The driver’s license had a birthdate of March 27, 2001,” the report continued. “Evelyn also sent pictures from Facebook with herself and Anthony and Anthony with a small child.”
Following Camacho’s claims, a police investigation was launched into the Venezuelan man posing as a boy.
Officers reviewed photographs from Facebook, which reportedly showed Labrador Sierra with both Camacho and a young child.
These images, along with the date of birth on the identification documents, were used to verify his actual age.
Law enforcement also found that the car he was using had been registered under the name associated with his older identity.
Federal agents with U.S. Border Patrol confirmed to local law enforcement that Labrador Sierra’s birthdate is actually in March 2001, making him 24 years old.
Records showed he had been in the United States on a work visa that expired in 2023—the same year he registered with the high school.
ICE places detainer on Venezuelan man who posed as boy
He is now being held in Wood County Jail on a $50,000 bond and faces charges of forgery.
His next court appearance is scheduled for May 29. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on him, ensuring that he remains in custody even if he manages to post bond.
“ICE lodged a detainer to ensure that this criminal illegal alien is removed from this community and no longer able to prey on the students of Perrysburg High School,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Wire.
“It is disturbing that a grown man would impersonate a teenager and surround himself with underage girls and boys and fool them into doing God knows what.”
The incident has drawn criticism from local political leaders, including Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio, who linked the case to the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
“Unreal. Thanks to Joe Biden’s abuse of TPS, a 24 year old illegal alien was caught on a fake asylum claim pretending to be a teenager at a high school in Ohio,” said Moreno on social media.
“Today, I am calling for a full investigation into this scandal and what is being done to keep our children safe,” he added.
In a formal letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, Moreno called for a federal inquiry into the matter to determine whether any sexual misconduct had taken place.
