A 24-year-old man from Venezuela was arrested for allegedly posing as a 16-year-old high school student in Ohio, according to the Perrysburg Police Department per the NY Post.

Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra was taken into custody on Monday after he pretended to be a teenager starting in January 2024. As detailed in a police report, Labrador had reached out to Perrysburg Schools in November 2023 to enroll, claiming he was homeless and an immigrant from Venezuela. He also informed the school that he was a victim of human trafficking.

When he met with school officials to begin the enrollment process, Labrador provided a birth certificate from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that listed his birthdate as December 2, 2007. At that time, he claimed to be living at an address in Toledo and officially began attending classes on January 19, 2024.

Kathy and Brad Melfred, who had previously hosted exchange students and adopted children, agreed to help Anthony Labrador. He began living with them on March 21, 2024. They were granted permanent guardianship by the Wood County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division and assisted him in obtaining a social security number and an Ohio driver’s license.

However, on May 14, they were contacted by Evelyn Camacho, who claimed that Labrador was

“actually a 24-year-old and he was the father of her child,”

police said. After investigating, the United States Border Patrol confirmed his true birthdate of March 27, 2001, and noted that he had an expired work visa, making him

“an overstay in this country.”

Labrador was arrested on Monday at 4:15 p.m. while riding in a vehicle on Interstate 75. He faces forgery charges, according to police.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?