TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) – A 24-year-old Venezuelan man, Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, has been arrested in Perrysburg, Ohio, for felony forgery after posing as a 16-year-old high school student for months.
Labrador enrolled at Perrysburg Schools in late 2023, claiming to be a trafficked minor from Venezuela. He presented official-looking documents, including a Venezuelan birth certificate, a U.S. social security number, a temporary protected status form from immigration officials, and an Ohio driver’s license.
The school followed legal protocols under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which provides support for unaccompanied minors, and admitted Labrador as a student in January 2024. A local family with a history of housing exchange students took him in and later obtained permanent guardianship.
However, in May 2025, Labrador’s deception unraveled. The mother of his child contacted the guardians and revealed that he was actually a 24-year-old father. She provided proof, including a valid Ohio driver’s license showing his real name and birthdate: March 27, 2001.
Law enforcement confirmed that Labrador’s immigration status had expired in 2023, and that he had overstayed his visa.
He was arrested on May 19, 2025, during a traffic stop on I-75 by Perrysburg Township Police. A judge issued a no-contact order barring him from the school and the family’s residence. He is currently being held in Wood County Jail on $50,000 bond. If released, he must wear an ankle monitor and remain at least two miles from the school and home.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer request and intends to take custody for immigration proceedings if Labrador is released.
Superintendent Tom Hosler stated, “This case involves highly unusual and deceptive circumstances… We followed all legal procedures in accordance with federal law for homeless minors.”
