A Venezuelan man living illegally in Perrysburg, Ohio, has been sentenced to two years in prison after posing as a high school student and providing false information on immigration and firearm purchase forms.
Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp on January 23. He had previously pleaded guilty to charges including possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and making or using false writings or documents. In addition to his prison term, Labrador-Sierra will serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Labrador-Sierra gave a false date of birth on federal applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization documents in 2024 and 2025. The investigation began after Perrysburg Schools reported concerns to local police that he was posing as a student at Perrysburg High School. Authorities determined that he was not a minor but an adult who had enrolled under false pretenses.
Following completion of his sentence, Labrador-Sierra is subject to a detainer from the United States Border Patrol and will be taken into administrative immigration custody.
The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Sandusky Bay Station, the FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the City of Perrysburg Police Department. The Wood County Prosecutor’s Office also provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Melching and Tracey Tangeman prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to officials.
