Venezuelan migrant pleads guilty to posing as teen to attend Ohio high school, faces up to 30 years

Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Toledo to using false documents to enroll at Perrysburg High School and to purchasing a firearm, a case prosecutors say underscores gaps in verification of student eligibility and immigration status. Labrador-Sierra had been in the United States since March 2020 after entering legally in 2019 on a B1/B2 visa, but authorities say he overstayed his visa and has been living in the country illegally since 2020.

Labrador-Sierra enrolled at Perrysburg High School in January 2024, presenting himself as a 16-year-old student and later participating on the junior varsity soccer team alongside younger classmates. He claimed to be homeless, a status that under federal law requires schools to admit unhoused students regardless of documentation. Neighbors and the family with which he resided described the situation as unusual and said he blended in with students much younger than him, including some as young as 14, because the school did not field a separate freshman team. The guardians who hosted him said they learned of the deception after a separate family member raised concerns about his age.

The investigation and timeline began to unravel on May 14, when a woman who had contact with the family Labrador-Sierra was living with contacted the guardians and said he was actually 24 years old and the father of her child. The guardians notified Perrysburg High School that evening. The next day, a school official met with Labrador-Sierra and he denied the allegation, asserting that the birth certificate on file—listing a 17-year-old birth year—was accurate. Investigators later obtained a driver’s license showing a birth date of March 27, 2001, and found that a social-media birthday post linked to a person who appeared to be his mother coincided with the license date. The girl’s identity, age, and family connections remained subject to further corroboration as the investigation progressed.

Authorities say Labrador-Sierra had used a false date of birth to apply for Temporary Protected Status and for work documents in 2024 and 2025, and that he provided or attempted to provide documentation tied to immigration status in order to obtain a firearm. He was arrested May 19 during a traffic stop, while seated in the passenger seat of a car driven by the woman who first alerted authorities about his age. Investigators said he possessed a handgun at the time and was subsequently detained by federal authorities.

Labrador-Sierra now faces up to 30 years in federal prison. He is expected to be sentenced in late January, according to federal court records. The case has drawn attention to how schools verify enrollment eligibility and how immigration status intersects with school access and criminal activity, even as the country continues to grapple with broader debates over border policy and enforcement.

The plea and ongoing proceedings come amid a broader national discussion about how institutions verify the age and identity of students and how immigration status may influence the behavior of individuals who seek to enter or remain in the United States. Federal prosecutors emphasized that the charges stem from the use of false documents to enroll in school and the illegal possession of a firearm, both taken in conjunction with Labrador-Sierra’s misrepresentation of his age and immigration status. The Perrysburg High School district declined to comment, citing the ongoing case and law enforcement process.

In the wake of the case, observers note that the older student population in some schools can complicate enrollment verification when students present at the door as younger learners. Advocates for unhoused students say schools have a responsibility to balance safeguarding students with ensuring access to education, while law enforcement and immigration authorities stress the importance of accurate information and compliance with visa and status requirements. The Department of Justice did not indicate any broader policy changes tied to this case, but officials reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing criminal charges when false documentation is used to gain access to weapons or other benefits secured by law.

The timeline of events—from the initial enrollment through the May 14 alert, the May 19 arrest, and the Monday guilty plea—highlights how quickly information can shift from seemingly routine school enrollment to a federal firearms case. As sentencing approaches, authorities will review the totality of Labrador-Sierra’s activities in the United States, the documents he used to justify his status, and the circumstances surrounding his possession of a handgun. The case stands as a reminder of the complexity surrounding immigration status, student enrollment, and public safety in local communities.