24-Year-Old Venezuelan Man Charged After Posing as High School Student

Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, a Venezuelan national, was charged with multiple federal offenses after allegedly posing as a 16-year-old student at Perrysburg High School in Ohio for more than a year. His deception unraveled in May 2025 following a phone call from his ex-fiancée that triggered a police search - and the discovery of a firearm, a fraudulent ID, and a burner phone in his room.

Enrollment Under a False Identity

Labrador-Sierra first contacted Perrysburg Schools on November 1, 2023, claiming to be a homeless immigrant and a victim of human trafficking. He officially enrolled in January 2024 using a forged birth certificate listing his birth year as 2007 rather than 2001. Under the nickname “Big Tone,” he played junior varsity soccer and swim, was described as charismatic and well-liked, and allegedly dated teenage classmates - all while concealing his true age.

His legal guardians, Kathy and Brad Mefferd - a couple in their 60s who took him in believing he was a vulnerable minor - were unaware of the deception. A call from Evelyn Camacho, the 22-year-old mother of Labrador-Sierra’s child, raised suspicion and prompted the Mefferds to contact the school, which then alerted police.

What the Search Revealed

A search of his room produced a Taurus 9mm semiautomatic pistol with three loaded magazines, a fraudulent Michigan driver’s license, and a burner phone. Investigators determined he had purchased the firearm illegally in 2022 using false statements about his citizenship and immigration status.

Records showed he had applied for Temporary Protected Status using both his real birthdate and the falsified younger date at different times. His tourist visa had expired prior to his enrollment.

Federal Charges

Labrador-Sierra faces federal charges including unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making false statements during a firearm purchase, and using false documents to represent himself as a U.S. citizen. He remains in custody. The Perrysburg school district acknowledged gaps in enrollment procedures for unaccompanied minors and stated it would strengthen its screening processes.

References: How illegal migrant Anthony Labrador, 24, was caught posing as a high school student | An adult dad posed as a high schooler for months - and even dated teen classmates. Here’s how his lie unraveled