Venezuelan man, 24, posed as a teen and attended Ohio high school for more than year, officials say
A 24-year-old Venezuelan man is accused of posing as an unaccompanied minor to attend an Ohio high school in a case school officials described as 'highly unusual and deceptive.'
Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, who attended Perrysburg High School for more than a year beginning as an apparent 16-year-old last January, was arrested during a traffic stop on felony forgery charges, school and police officials said Tuesday.
Labrador, who had been a member of the school's JV soccer and swim teams, used fraudulent documents during the enrollment process, the Perrysburg Police Department said in a statement.
The district described the allegations as "heartbreaking" and said that staff and local families had sought to support someone "they believed was a vulnerable teen. Their compassion reflects the best of our community. Though trust was violated, we remain proud of those who chose to help."
Labrador was scheduled to appear in a Wood County courtroom Tuesday. It wasn't immediately clear if he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
In a statement, Perrysburg Schools said that Labrador portrayed himself as an unaccompanied minor when he sought to attend the district and was enrolled in accordance with federal and state requirements for students without a legal guardian or experiencing homelessness.
At the time, he provided documentation showing immigration authorities had given him temporary protected status and a juvenile court granted guardianship to a family in Perrsyburg, the school district said.
Labrador also had an Ohio driver's license and Social Security card, according to the statement.
The district alleged that those documents were falsified.
After his guardians contacted the school last week saying they'd obtained information that he was a 24-year-old adult, administrators met with Labrador, who denied the allegation and said that the birth certificate he provided during enrollment was accurate, according to the district.
Labrador was ordered to stay away from school grounds while officials investigated the allegations and reached out to local police, according to the statement. The school's investigation uncovered social media posts from people claiming to be Labrador's real family, the district said.
"This case involves highly unusual and deceptive circumstances that impacted many local, state and federal agencies," the district said. "The school district has reviewed its actions regarding enrollment and is confident proper legal channels were followed to provide support for an individual presenting themselves as an unaccompanied minor as spelled out in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act."
That law, passed in 1987, requires states to ensure that homeless youth have access to the same public education as other students.This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Philadelphia woman's life turned upside down after Social Security deems her dead — and she's not the only one
Renee Williams was very much alive and living in West Philadelphia when she discovered a serious problem. Her bank accounts, health insurance and retirement benefits had all been cut off. The reason? She'd been placed in the "Death Master File" maintained by the Social Security Administration. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Williams has spent more than six months trying to ensure everything is restored and lives in fear she'll lose it all again due to a clerical error. "I go to sleep at night and think about if they're going to cut me off again, not knowing day-to-day what's going to happen to my benefits," Williams told CBS News Philadelphia. It's a reasonable concern. Her benefit payments are still inconsistent, credit and banking issues remain and the whole experience has been 'a pain in the behind.' Worse still, she's not the only American in this situation. Sadly, such problems may only get worse as the Trump administration culls government jobs and overhauls agencies — with the Social Security Administration (SSA) a top target. In April, an estimated 2,500 SSA workers accepted buyouts as part of the government's efforts to eliminate 7,000 jobs in the agency, AARP reports. According to the Social Security Administration, less than 1% of the three million deaths the SSA records annually are incorrect. That works out to about 10,000 people a year whom the SSA deems dead, but who are actually alive. That's not good. But Elon Musk has inadvertently made the problem worse. Ironically, that's because he's more concerned about benefits going out to people who are dead, claiming rampant fraud. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it That's one reason he overhauled the Social Security Administration database as part of the Department of Government Efficiency DOGE — to eliminate such errors. Unfortunately, as the Daily Beast reports, that overhaul is now cutting off benefits to a growing number of people who, like Williams, are alive and well but who are declared dead. According to ABC News, experts believe Musk may have misread the records by reading the wrong databases. Rennie Glasgow, a Social Security claims technical analyst who has worked in the Social Security Administration's Schenectady field office for 15 years, told the Daily Beast that 4 million people have been marked dead on the database as a result of the DOGE overhaul — even though many are alive. 'We have people who did not receive benefits come in every day with their ID and say, 'I'm not dead, I'm alive!'' he said, noting it can take three to four days to 'resurrect' them. "When they mark someone dead on the Social Security record, it stops their life,' Glasgow said. 'It stops their car payments, it stops their credit, it stops their ability to do anything. One Philadelphia consumer protection attorney, Jim Francis, is helping these victims fight back. "These are all people who are going about their normal lives, and all of the sudden, they lose access to all of their benefits, their pension, their medical insurance and they become financially paralyzed," Jim Francis told CBS News. Francis is representing a Baltimore family in Baltimore that is trying to initiate a class action against Social Security after their relative, Joyce Evans, was improperly reported dead in 2023. The family claims the mistake caused financial and health problems, leading Joyce Evans to actually die months after the error occurred. "It's a really serious problem and in the world of data being misreported, this is almost as bad as it gets, if not the worst,' Francis said. If you have been improperly marked as being deceased, make an appointment with your local Social Security Administration field office as soon as possible. You'll need to bring valid ID with you, which can include one of the following documents: Passport Driver's license Employee ID Military record School ID Marriage, divorce or adoption record Health insurance card or medical record Life insurance policy Court order for name change Church membership The original documents, or copies certified by the issuing agency, must be presented to the Social Security Administration. No photocopies are accepted. Once Social Security corrects your record, they will provide an 'Erroneous Death Case - Third Party Contact" Notice that you can show to banks, doctors and others to get your accounts back and your life restored. Hopefully, field offices will be responsive in preparing this document, despite staff shortages and a growing number of the 'undead' fighting to restore their lives. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Doomsday Mom' removed from courtroom; 'Devil in the Ozarks' captured
PHOENIX - From the latest on the hunt for an escaped former Arkansas police chief to tense moments during the Lori Vallow Daybell trial, here's a look at some of the top stories on for Friday, June 6, 2025. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing its Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security data once restricted by federal privacy law. Read More
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Queens 11th grader detained by ICE, separated from family: Senator
The Brief An 11th-grade student from Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens was detained by ICE during a routine immigration hearing, as reported by New York State Senator Mike Gianaris and School Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. Senator Gianaris did not disclose the student's name or provide information on their current location or duration of detention, while ICE has not responded to requests for comment. Both Gianaris and Chancellor Aviles-Ramos have called for the student's release. NEW YORK - A New York City public school student was detained by ICE and separated from family during a routine immigration hearing, according to a New York state senator and School Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. What we know Sen. Mike Gianaris, who represents parts of Queens in the New York State Senate, posted to X that an 11th grader from Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens, was detained while attending a legal hearing to seek asylum. What we don't know Gianaris did not name the student nor provide further details, including where the student was being held and how long they had been detained. What they're saying "Apprehending minors in courthouses and separating them from their families is unacceptable, and I join the school in calling for his release," Gianaris tweeted. Chancellor Aviles-Ramo also responded to FOX 5 NY's request for comment, demanding that ICE release this student. "This young person should be returning home from school today, surrounded by family — not facing detention," she said in a statement. "Our commitment to all students, including our newest New Yorkers, remains unwavering. Our policies have not changed: schools are and will continue to be safe, welcoming spaces for every child. This incident did not happen in a school, and we urge families to keep sending their children to school, where they belong." ICE has not responded to FOX 5 NY's request for comment. This news comes as a Bronx community is rallying for the release of Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 20-year-old Venezuelan national attending Ellis Prep. Academy. Like the Grover Cleveland student, Contreras was detained in May during a routine immigration court hearing. According to Chalkbeat, he "fled his home country last year and turned himself in at the U.S. border in April 2024 through a Biden-era entry program." The city has since filed a motion for his release from Pennsylvania's Moshannon Valley Processing Center, saying he's being held without due process. The Source This article uses statements from Aviles-Ramo and Gianaris along with background reporting from Chalkbeat and more.
