In the quiet suburb of Perrysburg, Ohio, a shocking case of identity fraud has come to light. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, a 24-year-old Venezuelan national, allegedly infiltrated Perrysburg High School by posing as a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor. The deception lasted for more than 15 months.
The scheme began in November 2023, when Labrador-Sierra contacted school officials claiming he was a homeless immigrant trafficked from Venezuela. He presented a forged Venezuelan birth certificate listing his birthdate as December 2, 2007, making him appear 16 years old.
Because federal law requires public schools to enroll unhoused students, Perrysburg Schools followed protocol and admitted him on January 11, 2024, under the name “Anthony Labrador.” He qualified as an unaccompanied minor without legal guardians.
A local couple, identified in police reports as the Mefferds, believed his story and welcomed him into their home. In early 2024, Wood County Juvenile Court granted them temporary guardianship, which later became permanent.
With their support, Labrador-Sierra obtained official documents, including a Social Security number and an Ohio driver’s license. He even applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a federal program that shields certain immigrants from deportation and allows work authorization. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved his application based on the fraudulent birthdate.
On February 29, 2024, he submitted another TPS-related application through the University of Toledo College of Law, again using the false 2007 birthdate.
In reality, Labrador-Sierra had entered the U.S. legally in September 2019 on a B-2 tourist visa through Miami International Airport. He was 18 at the time. His visa expired in 2020, making him an overstay. U.S. Border Patrol later confirmed his true birthdate: March 27, 2001.
Despite his age, Labrador-Sierra blended into school life seamlessly. He joined the junior varsity soccer team, competing against students as young as 14. Teammates noticed his size, with one player telling local media: “He just looked more built. He looked more like a man».
He also swam for the JV team. The district reported his participation to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Questions arose about eligibility rules for immigrants.
The fraud extended beyond the school. In July 2022, Labrador-Sierra purchased a Taurus G3C 9mm semiautomatic pistol at Bass Pro Shops in Rossford, Ohio. On the ATF Form 4473, he falsely claimed U.S. citizenship and used a fraudulent Ohio driver’s license. An ATF trace confirmed the purchase. Authorities later found the firearm hidden under his mattress, along with three loaded 9mm magazines, cash, a prepaid cell phone, and a fake Michigan driver’s license.
The scheme unraveled on May 14, 2025, when a woman identified as E.C. contacted the Mefferds. She claimed Labrador-Sierra was the father of her 2-year-old child and provided proof: photos of his legitimate Ohio driver’s license and Social Security card, both listing the 2001 birthdate.
E.C. also shared Facebook images—one showing her with Labrador-Sierra, another of him with the child. Additional posts from a family member’s account surfaced, including a March 27 post captioned “Happy birthday son” showing him in a Perrysburg soccer uniform.
When confronted by administrators on May 15, 2025, Labrador-Sierra denied the allegations, insisting the 2007 birth certificate was genuine. The school barred him from campus pending investigation.
Perrysburg Police, working with U.S. Border Patrol, quickly confirmed his true identity: a 24-year-old visa overstay illegally present in the U.S. On May 19, 2025, officers arrested him during a traffic stop on Interstate 75.
Bodycam footage captured the arrest. He was charged with felony forgery in Wood County Municipal Court and held on $50,000 bond.
ICE lodged a detainer on May 21, 2025. Local charges were dropped on May 29 as federal authorities took over. By June 25, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio indicted Labrador-Sierra on four 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 said he falsified TPS and employment authorization applications in 2024 and 2025, describing his actions as a “complex tapestry of lies.”
Initially, Labrador-Sierra pleaded not guilty. But on September 22, 2025, in Toledo federal court, he changed his plea to guilty on all four counts. Sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2026, and he faces up to 30 years in prison.
This case underscores the vulnerabilities of TPS, a program enacted in 1990 to aid nationals from war-torn or disaster-stricken countries. Venezuela was designated in 2021 due to its ongoing crisis, and as of 2025, more than 500,000 Venezuelans hold TPS. Critics argue the system enables fraud and abuse due to insufficient vetting.
As this case nears its conclusion, it raises broader questions about security, immigration enforcement, and public safety. A grown man armed with lies, documents, and even a firearm infiltrated a high school and exploited laws meant to protect the vulnerable.
Conservatives have long warned: weak enforcement invites abuse. Until the U.S. prioritizes strict vetting, prevents overstays, and strengthens protections for citizens, cases like this will continue—eroding trust, one forged birth certificate at a time.
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