A 24-year-old Venezuelan man was arrested after it was discovered that he posed as a teenager to attend an Ohio high school for more than a year.
The suspect was identified as Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, who went to Perrysburg High School. He allegedly started as a supposed 16-year-old in January 2024 before being taken into custody during a traffic stop on felony forgery charges.
Venezuelan Man Posed as a Teen to Attend School
The man was previously a member of the high school's JV soccer and swim teams. Officials found that he used fraudulent documents when he enrolled as a student to keep his real age a secret.
In a statement, the school district described the allegations as "heartbreaking," noting that staff members and local families tried to support someone "they believed was a vulnerable teen." It added that the compassion they showed reflects the best of the community, despite it being taken advantage of, according to NBC News.
The Venezuelan man was scheduled to appear in Wood County courtroom on Tuesday and it was not immediately clear if he already had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. Perrysburg Schools noted that the suspect posed as an unaccompanied minor when he tried to enroll.
He was then accepted in accordance with federal and state requirements for students who do not have legal guardians or are experiencing homelessness. At the time that the 24-year-old tried to enroll, he gave documentation that showed immigration authorities provided him with Temporary Protected Status.
Additionally, he showed supposed proof that a juvenile court granted guardianship to a family in Perrysburg. Officials also said that Labrador provided an Ohio driver's license as well as a Social Security card, ABC News reported.
Legal Guardianship of the Suspect
Kathy and Brad Melfred were the ones who were given guardianship of Labrador as they had experience housing exchange students in the past. They accepted the Venezuelan man and they started living with him on Mar. 21, 2024.
But on May 14, 2025, the couple was contacted by a woman identified as Evelyn Camacho, who told them that Labrador was actually 24 years old. The woman added that the man was the father of her child.
The parents then contacted the high school, revealing they had obtained information that Labrador was a 24-year-old adult. Administrators then met with him as he denied the allegations, noting that the birth certificate he gave during the enrollment was accurate.
Authorities then ordered Labrador to stay away from school grounds as an official investigation was underway. Officials were able to uncover social media posts from people who claimed to be the Venezuelan man's real family, as per NBC San Diego.
