Man from Venezuela accused of pretending to be teen enrolled in Ohio high school
A man was arrested on Monday after it was revealed he was reportedly masquerading as a student at an Ohio high school.
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In a letter sent to parents and community members, Perrysburg Schools Superintendent Thomas Hosler said a man believed to be 24 years old was arrested on felony forgery charges, our CBS affiliate in Toledo, WTOL, reported.
The man, identified in jail records as Anthony Emmanuel Labrad Sierra, is accused of enrolling at the high school while claiming to be a 16-year-old student in January 2024.
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WTOL reported that Sierra presented himself as an unaccompanied minor and enrolled under the name 'Anthony Labrador.'
His enrollment was in accordance with federal and state requirements for students who do not have legal guardians or are homeless.
He also allegedly applied for and received several documents while enrolled at the district. WTOL reported that those documents included a driver's license, Social Security number, and federal Temporary Protective Status from the United States Immigration Department.
The superintendent also said Sierra applied under the Labrador name for a visa and even had his guardianship granted to a Perrysburg family by the Wood County Juvenile Court.
That family contacted the district about the alleged fraudulent identity on May 14 after they got information that he wasn't a minor.
The district confronted Sierra about it, but he denied the claims and referenced his birth certificate, which WTOL reported included a birth date that would make him 17 as of May 14.
An investigation was conducted by the Perrysburg Police Division. In a statement to WTOL, police revealed Sierra was from Venezuela.
'Through our investigation and working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it was discovered that Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, a 24-year-old from Venezuela, had used fraudulent documents to enroll in Perrysburg Schools, and was posing as a 17-year-old high school student,' police said.
Sierra was arrested during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 on Monday. He's been booked into the Wood County Jail.
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