24-year-old man arrested, accused of posing as a teen at Ohio high school

A 24-year-old man was arrested after police said he posed as a teenager to attend an Ohio high school.

Anthony Emmanuel Labrad Sierra, a Venezuelan national, is accused of pretending to be a 16-year-old and enrolling in Perrysburg High School, according to The Columbus Dispatch, part of Paste BN Network.

In a letter sent by Perrysburg Schools Superintendent Thomas Hosler, Sierra presented himself as an unaccompanied minor at the high school under the name "Anthony Labrador." He was reportedly involved in the junior varsity swim and soccer programs at the school.

Sierra allegedly received various letters of documentation while enrolled at Perrysburg High School, including a driver's license, Social Security number, and federal Temporary Protective Status from the United States Immigration Department.

WTOL11 and WTVG reported that the family who had taken guardianship of Sierra initially found out about his age from a woman claiming to be the mother of his child, who sent them photos and other documentation. According to the reports, Hosler said the district learned about Sierra's fraudulent identity on May 14 when the family contacted the school.

'Deceptive circumstances'

The school district contacted the Perrysburg Police Department, which then conducted an investigation. According to reports, the border patrol informed police that Sierra's visa status expired in 2023.

"This case involves highly unusual and deceptive circumstances that impacted many local, state, and federal agencies," Hosler said in the letter.

Court records viewed by the Dispatch say Sierra was arrested on May 19 and charged with felony forgery. He is currently in custody at the Wood County jail and was issued a $50,000 bond.According to Perrysburg police, they located Sierra riding in a vehicle at around 4:15 p.m. on May 19 and took him into custody. If he is released, he is not allowed to leave Wood County.

Perrysburg is about 10 miles from Toledo.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.