24-Year-Old Venezuelan Posed As Teen To Attend Ohio High School For Over A Year

A 24-year-old Venezuelan man claiming to be a human trafficking victim attended an Ohio high school for over a year while posing as a 16-year-old, local law enforcement said.

Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, an adult male, attended Perrysburg High School near Toledo from January 2024 until last week after it was discovered he had lied about his age, the city’s police department said Tuesday. Sierra was arrested on Monday and charged with felony forgery charges after a woman came forward and said that he was the father of her child and that he was pretending to be a teenager.

The Perrysburg School District said that Sierra used forged documents to obtain legal guardianship, a Social Security number, an Ohio driver’s license, and Temporary Protected Status from deportation.

Sierra’s legal status is currently unknown, but the Department of Homeland Security tells The Daily Wire it is looking into the matter.

Local detective Ryan Merrow, who is investigating the incident, told The Daily Wire that the case is ongoing and that more charges may be coming. Merrow added that the school told him that Sierra was working with an “advocacy group” to obtain protected legal status in the United States.

He said that investigators believe that Sierra’s real birthdate is March 27, 2001, while the Venezuelan national claimed to be born on December 2, 2007 when he first moved to enroll in high school in November 2023. Sierra obtained a guardian family, which was contacted last week by a woman who said she had a child with him and that he was lying about his identity. The guardian family then contacted the school, which reached out to the police department on Monday.

Merrow said that the police department verified the documentation provided by the woman, proving that Sierra was lying about his identity. He added that any crime committed by Sierra at the school or involving students at the school would be handled by Perrysburg Police.

The school district said Tuesday that they were heartbroken when they found out that they had allowed a 24-year-old male to attend school among young teenagers.

“What’s most heartbreaking is how many responded in good faith. Staff and local families offered support to someone they believed was a vulnerable teen. Their compassion reflects the best of our community. Though trust was violated, we remain proud of those who chose to help,” the district said. “Student safety remains our highest priority. We are committed to transparency and to strengthening safeguards that protect every child in our schools.”

Ohio state lawmaker Josh Williams, who represents the district containing the school, said he was “deeply troubled” by the news and that the people “need answers” from the school system.

“I seriously doubt the school system’s ability to keep our students safe when it can’t even affirm the immigration status or age of this man,” Williams said. “I will be following up very soon with more detailed questions for the school district.”

“When local districts fail this most basic responsibility, you can believe the legislature will get involved,” he said.

Rampant fraud has been found in many of the immigration programs that were implemented under President Joe Biden, including his parole program that released thousands of migrants into the country. A report from the Department of Homeland Security found that just a few thousand people were applying to “sponsor” over 100,000 migrants.