Latest news with #PerrysburgHighSchool
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ohio High Schooler Was Actually 24-Year-Old Man Who Overstayed Visa: Police
A 24-year-old Venezuelan man is accused of fraudulently enrolling himself in an Ohio high school as a 16-year-old, which allowed him to stay in the U.S. undetected for over a year until a woman came forward last week, contending that he is the father of her child. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra was arrested near Toledo on forgery charges Monday and also faces a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement after allegedly overstaying a work visa that expired in 2023, local and federal authorities said. According to police records, Labrador Sierra enrolled himself in Perrysburg High School in late 2023 using a fake birth certificate that listed him as born in Venezuela as Anthony Labrador on Dec. 2, 2007. He allegedly told school officials that he was unhoused and trafficked into the U.S. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, passed in 1987, public schools are required to enroll unaccompanied minors without standard enrollment paperwork. He was taken in by a local couple, known for adopting and housing exchange students, who helped him legally obtain an Ohio driver's license and a Social Security card, according to a Perrysburg Police Division incident report obtained by HuffPost. Over the next 16 months, Labrador Sierra attended classes and participated in extracurricular activities, including junior varsity soccer and swimming. He also obtained Temporary Protective Status through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services using a fraudulent birth certificate, Perrysburg Schools said in a statement. 'Our school district—along with state and federal agencies—were misled by an intentional act of fraud,' the school system said. It wasn't until last week, May 14, that a 22-year-old Toledo woman came forward, identifying Labrador Sierra to his local guardians as a 24-year-old man and the father of her child, police said. The woman allegedly shared a photo of an Ohio driver's license and Social Security card showing Labrador Sierra's full name and a birthday of March 27, 2001. She also shared photos from Facebook showing her with him and a small child. Labrador Sierra's guardians immediately alerted his school about the fraud allegations, and the next day, school officials said they confronted him about it. He denied the allegations but was still directed to stay off school property until a district review, the school system said. Later, police said the school system provided authorities with pictures of several Facebook posts by a woman who identified herself as Labrador Sierra's mother. The woman on March 27 posted a photo of him wearing a Perrysburg soccer uniform and wished him a happy birthday. Further investigation found that a vehicle Labrador Sierra owned was registered to Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra under his old Ohio driver's license. Border Patrol accused that same individual of overstaying his work visa in 2023, the same year that he enrolled in the local high school, police said. He was taken into custody during a traffic stop on Monday. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, celebrated Labrador Sierra's arrest and detainer in a statement, claiming he is 'no longer able to prey on the students of Perrysburg High School.' A police spokesperson told HuffPost on Thursday that the incident remains under investigation. It was not immediately clear whether Labrador Sierra had an attorney. Kid Rock Distances Himself From Nashville Restaurant After It Reportedly Dodged ICE Raid Democratic Rep. McIver Charged With Assault After Skirmish At ICE Center, New Jersey Prosecutor Says Trump Plans To Yank Officers From Ports And Borders To Help Juice Deportation Numbers Stop Comparing ICE To The Gestapo, Homeland Security Says
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
A 24-year-old Venezuelan man posed as a teenage homeless migrant and forged documents to enroll at an Ohio high school, officials say
A 24-year-old man was arrested Monday for allegedly forging documents to enroll in an Ohio high school, where he studied for over a year before the identity fraud was discovered, authorities said. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra enrolled at Perrysburg High School in January 2024 with a Venezuelan birth certificate showing he was 16 years old, claiming he was a homeless migrant who had been trafficked into the country, according to a Perrysburg Police Division incident report. Labrador Sierra started at the school and was eventually placed with a local family who had previously hosted exchange students, according to the police report. The host family was granted temporary and later permanent guardianship of Labrador Sierra in 2024, and they helped him with obtaining a social security number and driver's license while he was in their custody, according to the police report. He also used forged documents to obtain federal Temporary Protective Status (TPS) from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Perrysburg Schools said in a statement. Migrants under TPS humanitarian relief are protected from being removed from the country or detained based on their immigration status, and may obtain legal employment, according to the USCIS website. Labrador Sierra's identity first came into question on May 14, when a woman contacted the guardian family and told them he was actually a 24-year-old man and the father of her child, police said. She sent them several photos: a driver's license and social security card with Labrador Sierra's name and a March 27, 2001, birth date; and several from Facebook showing her and Labrador Sierra, along with Labrador Sierra with a child. The guardians contacted the school district that evening, according to Perrysburg Schools. Administrators met with Labrador Sierra the following day and 'he denied the allegation and asserted that the birth certificate submitted during enrollment - which indicates he is currently 17 years old - was accurate,' the school's statement says. CNN has reached out to an attorney for Labrador Sierra for comment. 'Given the seriousness of the claim, Perrysburg Schools immediately directed the guardians to keep Labrador off school property while the matter was investigated further,' the school district said. During the course of the investigation, the district said it 'found social media posts by others, including those claiming to be Labrador Sierra's family.' Police said those posts include several from a Zulay Sierra, whom they believe to be Labrador Sierra's mother based on the birth certificate he provided to the school district. One of the posts she shared shows Labrador Sierra wearing a Perrysburg soccer uniform with the caption 'Happy birthday son,' according to police. It was dated March 27 – matching the birth date on the picture of the driver's license that the woman had sent the guardians, according to the police report. Police reached out to US Customs and Border Patrol and were told Labrador Sierra 'had an expired work visa and that he was considered an overstay in this country,' according to the police report. CBP told police his visa had expired in 2023, the year he reached out to enroll in high school, police said. The Perrysburg Township Police arrested Labrador Monday during a traffic stop on a forgery warrant. He was riding in the passenger seat of the car driven by the woman who had exposed his identity to his guardian family, according to the police report. CNN has reached out to the guardian family and the woman who contacted them for comment. Labrador Sierra was arraigned Tuesday, court records show. He pleaded not guilty to a forgery charge, a fifth-degree felony. His bond was set at $50,000, and his next court date is scheduled for May 29. He may soon be facing federal charges as well, according to US Customs and Border Protection. 'Labrador is an illegal alien who overstayed his visa and has no legal status. US Border Patrol placed an immigration detainer on him with the local police department,' a CBP spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. 'Federal charges are being pursued.' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement confirming Labrador Sierra is from Venezuela and calling his actions 'disturbing.' McLaughlin said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, also lodged a detainer against him. The school district called the situation 'highly unusual,' but added that it 'is confident proper legal channels were followed to provide support for an individual presenting themselves as an unaccompanied minor…' CNN's Hanna Park contributed to this report.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Examining Perrysburg Schools' identity fraud case through a legal lens
PERRYSBURG, Ohio (WJW) — Perrysburg Local Schools said it is conducting a full investigation into a highly deceptive and unusual case where a 24-year-old migrant from Venezuela enrolled at the high school using fraudulent documents and false pretenses. Many in the community are left wondering: how did this happen? Anthony Labrador Sierra, 24, is accused of posing as a 16-year-old high school student. Immigration attorney Margaret Wong weighed in on the legal implications. 'I get goosebumps when I hear that my 16-year-old daughter could be in the same class as a 24-year-old man,' Wong said. Labrador Sierra, a Venezuelan national, is accused of falsifying documents to enroll at Perrysburg High School. Authorities said he claimed to be an unaccompanied minor experiencing homelessness. WATCH: Police arrest 24-year-old accused of posing as Ohio high school student The district said it followed federal and state requirements under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which mandates enrollment for students experiencing homelessness or without a legal guardian. Wong said the school was operating with the right intentions. 'I sort of feel bad for the school because I think now the school is sending out media releases saying it's not their fault,' she said. 'Of course it's not their fault. If someone lies to them — and it's such a small, beautiful, welcoming town — I think we shouldn't blame the school. We should ask what kind of people come to America and do that.' Labrador Sierra participated in the junior varsity soccer and swim teams, which raises concerns about an unfair competitive advantage due to his age. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) issued a statement: 'Thanks again for your communication and transparency on this issue. After a review, Perrysburg HS took all appropriate actions to verify this person's information, and even inquired/communicated with our office back in the fall, in order to determine their athletic eligibility. As your Superintendent indicated, this case involves highly unusual and deceptive circumstances that impacted many local, state and federal agencies, and your school had no way of knowing/combating this falsification. As such, there are no penalties or forfeitures which will be required of your sports teams on which this individual played. 'Also, I know this person will not be coming back to any school, but his eligibility has been revoked under Bylaw 4-1-2, Falsification. 'Thanks again for your efforts, and let me know if you have any follow up questions.' Wong also noted that the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the Trump administration's decision to strip legal protections from approximately 350,000 Venezuelans. Former New York state trooper pleads guilty to faking his own shooting Labrador Sierra was taken into custody at the Wood County jail and faces felony forgery charges. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer for Labrador Sierra. 'Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra is a 24-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela who has been posing as teenager and attending Perrysburg High School in Ohio,' DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 'Labrador was arrested and charged with forgery by the Perrysburg Ohio Police Department on May 19 for using fake documents to become enrolled in the high school. ICE lodged a detainer to ensure that this criminal illegal alien is removed from this community and no longer able to prey on the students of Perrysburg High School. It is disturbing that a grown man would impersonate a teenager and infiltrate the lives of underage girls and boys to fool them into doing God knows what.' Wong believes he will face prosecution in Wood County before any immigration proceedings take place — especially if additional charges emerge. 'Immigration should immediately issue a Notice to Appear,' she said. 'Actually, don't even issue a Notice to Appear — I would just deport him right away. I know it sounds harsh, and I'm a foreign-born immigrant myself. But on the other hand, is deportation punishment enough?' Wong called the case an extreme violation of trust and kindness. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sky News AU
21-05-2025
- Sky News AU
Venezuelan migrant dad, 24, posed as Ohio high schooler, student athlete - and tricked family into taking him in: cops
An adult Venezuelan migrant and father allegedly pretended to be a 16-year-old boy so he could enroll in an Ohio high school — and even played two sports with kids nearly a decade younger, according to police. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra is accused of falsely presenting himself as an unaccompanied minor and enrolling at Perrysburg High School, southwest of Toledo, in January last year — and tricking a family into taking him in, according to police. When he first contacted the school in November 2023, he allegedly claimed that he had been trafficked to the US from Venezuela and said his birthday was Dec. 2, 2007, according to police documents seen by 13 ABC. However, he is allegedly a 24-year-old Venezuelan national who has children living in the US, according to prosecutors. He told school officials his name was Anthony Labrador, according to a letter sent from Perrysburg Schools Superintendent Thomas Hosler to parents and community members. Sierra was enrolled at the school for 14 months before school officials contacted the Perrysburg Police Division on Monday regarding possible fraudulent activity involving one of their students, police said in a statement on Tuesday. Cops opened a fraud case and assigned it to the Detective Bureau for investigation. '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,' the statement read. Sierra lived with a Perrysburg family after his guardianship was granted by the Wood County Juvenile Court, according to Hosler. The family became suspicious about Sierra's real age and contacted the school, saying they had received information that he was, in fact, a 24-year-old man, Hosler's letter read. On May 14, the mother of Sierra's child allegedly reached out to his oblivious guardians and claimed he was 24 years old, sending them photos and documents, including an Ohio driver's license under his real name with a birthday of March 27, 2001, according to police documents. Sierra denied the allegations when he was confronted by school officials, referencing his birth certificate, which would have made him 17 as of May 14. But the school district told Sierra's guardians to keep him off school property while they investigated. Sierra smirked at the camera as he appeared in Perrysburg Municipal Court on Tuesday afternoon via video from the Wood County Jail, where he was listed as Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra. A judge set his bond at $50,000 and forbade him from leaving Wood County. He will also have to wear an ankle monitor and remain two miles away from Perrysburg High School. When asked where he would live if released, he said he would stay with a woman named Emily with whom he said he shares children. His alleged scam was uncovered after school district leaders discovered social media posts by people claiming to be Sierra's real family, WTOL 11 reported. While at the school, Sierra was involved in the school's swimming and soccer programs, Hosler told WTOL 11. He allegedly applied for and received various documentation while he was enrolled at the school, including a driver's license, a Social Security number and federal Temporary Protective Status from the US Immigration Department, according to court records. Sierra also allegedly completed a visa application with the help of Advocating Opportunities, a group that provides free legal assistance. As a non-US citizen, Sierra's charges may lead to deportation, prosecutors said. Police are looking into what prosecutors described as 'questionable material' found at the home where Sierra was staying, as well as issues he reportedly had with the school. Sierra entered a plea of not guilty on Tuesday and will be represented by a public defender. Originally published as Venezuelan migrant dad, 24, posed as Ohio high schooler, student athlete - and tricked family into taking him in: cops
The Hill
21-05-2025
- The Hill
Adult accused of enrolling as teen at Ohio high school
PERRYSBURG, Ohio (WJW) — A Wood County, Ohio, school district is investigating after a 24-year-old was accused of enrolling in high school, allegedly posing as a teenage boy for more than a year and a half. The suspect, identified in Perrysburg Municipal Court records as 24-year-old Anthony E. Labrador-Sierra, even played on the school's JV soccer and swim teams, according to the school district. Perrysburg police arrested Labrador-Sierra on Monday on felony charges of forgery, accusing him of using fake documents to enroll at and attend Perrysburg High School between January 11, 2024, and May 14 of this year, according to a statement on the school district's website. Labrador-Sierra is accused of enrolling in the district as a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor, under federal and state rules for students experiencing homelessness or who do not have a legal guardian, according to the school district. He had obtained several pieces of identification that 'further complicated the situation,' including an Ohio driver's license and a federal Social Security number. He also had been issued Temporary Protected Status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to the district. The Wood County Juvenile Court had placed him in guardianship with a Perrysburg family. That family learned May 14 that he was not a minor, but a 24-year-old man, according to the district. District administrators met with Labrador-Sierra the following day, May 15, and he claimed the birth certificate he used to enroll was accurate and that he was 17 years old. He was barred from school grounds while the investigation continued. School officials reviewed social media posts, including posts from people claiming to be Labrador-Sierra's family members. They then contacted Perrysburg police, who began their investigation, leading to Labrador-Sierra's arrest on Monday. School officials said the alleged fraud slipped past several federal, state and local agencies, and that the school district had acted in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which regulates education for students experiencing homelessness. 'While the deception was complex and far-reaching, Perrysburg Schools acted swiftly and appropriately once concerns were raised,' reads the district's statement. 'What's most heartbreaking is how many responded in good faith. Staff and local families offered support to 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-Sierra was jailed on a $50,000 bond, court records show. If released, he won't be able to leave Wood County. He's due back in court for a preliminary hearing on May 29. A judge also issued a no-contact order. The suspect's athletic involvement was reported to the Ohio High School Athletics Association, according to the district. Nexstar's WJW reached out to Perrysburg police for more information on the investigation, but did not receive a response before publication.
