Despite claiming to be 16, suspect had obtained driver's license, social security number and temporary protective status
Venezuelan man arrested after posing as an Ohio high school student
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin has the details from Los Angeles on 'America's Newsroom.'
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against 24-year-old Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who was residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, where he also attended high school claiming to be a teenager until last month.
The grand jury returned the indictment this week, charging Labrador Sierra with possession of a firearm by an alien who is in the U.S. unlawfully, making a false statement while purchasing a firearm, and making or using false documents, the DOJ said in a news release.
The indictment alleges that Labrador Sierra submitted a false date of birth to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on federal applications to acquire Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025.
The suspect also allegedly possessed a Taurus G3C 9mm semiautomatic pistol, which he was not allowed to have, since he was in the U.S. illegally, and the DOJ alleges that Labrador Sierra submitted false information to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to purchase the firearm.
LOCAL CHARGES DROPPED AS FEDS TARGET VENEZUELAN ACCUSED OF POSING AS TEEN AT OHIO HIGH SCHOOL
Anthony Labrador, a 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, is accused of using forged documents to enroll in a high school in Ohio as a 16-year-old, who would now be 17 years old. (Wood County Jail)
He allegedly provided false statements on a federal form to purchase the firearm and made statements to deceive the licensed firearms dealer at the point of sale. For example, the indictment alleges that Labrador Sierra said he was not a U.S. citizen or national; was not illegally or unlawfully in the U.S.; and was not an alien who entered the U.S. under a non-immigrant visa.
If Labrador Sierra is convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. He could also face 10 years in prison for making a false statement while purchasing a firearm and up to five years in prison for making or using false documents or writings.
Earlier, court documents showed that Labrador Sierra had been charged with forgery after he allegedly enrolled in a public high school using fraudulent documents.
VENEZUELAN MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY POSED AS TEEN PARTICIPATED IN OHIO HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING EVENTS
Illegal immigrant Anthony Labrador Sierra was charged with forgery after enrolling at Perrysburg High School and posing as a 16-year-old student. (Perryburg Police Department)
The Perrysburg Police Department said last month that it had been contacted by the Perrysburg Local Schools about possible fraudulent activity involving one of its students.
A fraud case was ultimately established and handed over to the department’s detectives for further investigation.
Detectives worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and it was discovered that Labrador was a 24-year-old from Venezuela.
Investigators also learned that Labrador Sierra had used fraudulent documents to enroll in Perrysburg Schools and was posing as a 16-year-old student.
VENEZUELAN MAN ARRESTED AFTER POSING AS TEEN TO ENROLL IN OHIO HIGH SCHOOL
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against 24-year-old Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. (iStock)
Perrysburg School officials said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that Labrador Sierra had been enrolled at Perrysburg High School under the name and age of a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor on Jan. 11, 2024, in accordance with federal and state requirements for enrolling students experiencing homelessness or without a legal guardian.
Between Jan. 11, 2024, and May 14, 2025, the school said, Labrador Sierra obtained documentation and support, further complicating the situation. For instance, he obtained a state-issued driver’s license, social security number and Temporary Protective Status (TPS) from U.S. Immigration.
The school also said that Labrador had completed an application for a visa with help from Advocating Opportunities, which provides free legal assistance.
The Wood County Juvenile Court granted guardianship of Labrador Sierra to a Perrysburg family.
School officials said the guardians had contacted the school on May 14 to report that they had received information indicating Labrador Sierra was not a minor, but instead a 24-year-old man.
Labrador Sierra reportedly denied the allegation when district administrators met with him on May 15.
The school district issued a statement shortly after his arrest, noting that Labrador Sierra had been a member of the junior varsity soccer and swim teams.
Labrador Sierra was ultimately taken into custody during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 on Tuesday afternoon.
DHS told Fox News they have located Labrador Sierra's information under a different spelling of his name. They added that Labrador Sierra is a visa overstay who first came to the U.S. in 2019.
DHS also confirmed that Labrador Sierra has received TPS.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to
