A 24-year-old man from Venezuela admitted in federal court that he posed as a teenager to enroll in an Ohio high school, forging documents and even buying a gun along the way. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra pleaded guilty on Monday to serious charges, including illegal firearm possession and making false statements on immigration and gun forms.
Sierra, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2019 and was ordered to leave by March 2020, tricked officials at Perrysburg High School in Toledo into believing he was just 16 years old. Back in November 2023, he reached out to the school, claiming he had been trafficked from Venezuela and was born on December 2, 2007. He used the fake name Anthony Labrador to sign up and started classes in January 2024.
For 14 months, Sierra blended in with students nearly a decade younger. He attended classes, joined sports programs, and even lived with a local family who thought they were sheltering a homeless teen. A Wood County Juvenile Court had granted them guardianship, but things unraveled in May when the family grew suspicious. They learned he might be an adult with kids of his own.
The family dug deeper and found a prepaid phone, a phony Michigan ID showing a 1999 birthdate, and a loaded 9mm handgun with extra magazines hidden under his mattress. Police arrested him soon after, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement slapped on a detainer, flagging him as an unlawful immigrant from Venezuela.
Prosecutors revealed Sierra used his bogus age to snag an Ohio driver’s license, a Social Security number, and even Temporary Protected Status from immigration authorities. He also lied on forms to buy the illegal firearm.
Now, this Venezuelan national faces up to 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2026, in the Northern District of Ohio. The case highlights the risks of immigration fraud and fake identities in everyday settings like schools.
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