Man, 24, Posed as Teen to Enroll in High School, Faces Federal Charges

Deception and Enrollment

• 👨‍⚖️ A 24-year-old man, Anthony Emanuel Labrador Sierra, enrolled in a Parisburg, Ohio high school by posing as a 16-year-old homeless immigrant from Venezuela.
• 🤥 He claimed to be a victim of human trafficking to gain entry into the school system.
• 📄 Labrador Sierra presented a forged birth certificate from Venezuela with a birth date of December 2nd, 2007, to enroll.
• 🗓️ He began attending classes on January 19th, 2024, and participated in school activities like the swim and JV soccer teams.

Unraveling the Lies

• ✈️ Labrador Sierra first entered the U.S. on September 24th, 2019, on a tourist visa, claiming to be 18 years old, but overstayed his visa.
• 📝 He applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) multiple times, using his actual birth date in 2021 and again later.
• 🚗 He obtained an Ohio driver's license using his actual age and later another with the forged 2007 birth year.
• 🔫 The ATF states he used a driver's license to purchase a handgun in 2022.

Discovery and Federal Charges

• 📞 On May 14th, 2025, a woman claiming to be the mother of Labrador Sierra's child contacted his guardians, revealing he was 24 and providing evidence of his true identity and age.
• 🕵️ Guardians searched his room, finding a fraudulent Michigan driver's license, currency, a handgun, and ammunition, which they turned over to the police.
• 🇺🇸 During the firearm purchase paperwork, Labrador Sierra falsely claimed to be a US citizen and did not disclose his unlawful status.
• ⚖️ He was arrested and subsequently charged with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the U.S., making a false statement during a firearm purchase, and two counts of using false documents.

Legal Proceedings and Expert Insight

• 🤝 Labrador Sierra initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty on all charges.
• ⏳ He faces up to 30 years in prison and has been held in custody since his arrest, awaiting sentencing in January 2026.
• 🏫 The school district stated they followed federal rules that do not deny enrollment based on undocumented status or lack of residency, and that they acted in good faith, being exploited by deceptive circumstances.
• 🧠 Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober suggested potential motivations including fear of deportation, survival, a need for control, or a form of "Peter Pan syndrome" to avoid adult responsibilities, noting the exploitation of others' instinct to help.