An illegal immigrant from Venezuela who was allegedly captured posing as a high school student in Ohio will now face federal charges rather than local ones.
Anthony Labrador-Sierra, 24, was detained on May 21 after reportedly enrolling in a public high school with bogus paperwork.
On Thursday, the Perrysburg Municipal Court confirmed to Fox News Digital that all municipal charges against Labrador-Sierra had been dismissed, and his case had been turned over to federal authorities.
Labrador-Sierra appeared before a judge in the case and renounced his right to a preliminary hearing, according to WTVG.
He will now appear before a grand jury, which will hear his case.
According to the criminal complaint, Perrysburg Schools informed the Perrysburg Police Department that Labrador-Sierra, a student at Perrysburg High School, was actually a 24-year-old guy who had illegally registered.
Detectives collaborated with US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify Labrador-Sierra, a 24-year-old from Venezuela.
Investigators also discovered that Labrador-Sierra used bogus paperwork to enroll in Perrysburg schools, posing as a 16-year-old student.
Tom Hosler, administrator of Perrysburg Schools, underlined that the district acted quickly after learning Labrador-Sierra’s genuine identity.
“I want to highlight that as soon as we learned that this student may have concealed his identity and mislead us, we took action. We spoke with the student, and he was then prohibited from entering any school grounds while we investigated. “We contacted law enforcement very soon after,” Hosler said in a statement posted on the district’s website.
“There is nothing more important than our students’ safety and security. When we become aware of a serious situation, we take action.”
Senator Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, described the revelation and charges as “shocking.”
The senator tweeted a letter he sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel on X, saying, “Unreal. Thanks to Joe Biden’s abuse of TPS, a 24-year-old illegal alien was arrested on a fraudulent asylum claim purporting to be a teenager at an Ohio high school.”
Moreno urged Noem and Patel to initiate investigations immediately, and to take any and all legal steps to enforce federal immigration and criminal laws against Labrador-Sierra.
Hosler stated that Labrador-Sierra created “a complex tapestry of lies.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio also stated that Labrador-Sierra is accused of providing false information to US Citizenship and Immigration Services about his date of birth in applications for Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025.
DHS told Fox News that it found Labrador-Sierra’s information under a different spelling of his name, and that he is a visa overstay who arrived in the United States in 2019.
Perrysburg Police Chief Pat Jones told FOX 8 News on Wednesday that what detectives have uncovered about the case thus far appears to be “just the tip of the iceberg.”
The school system issued a statement saying it understands “the anger and frustration expressed by many in our community.”
“This person is suspected of faking his identity, falsifying documents, and abusing systems intended to safeguard vulnerable youngsters. While emotions run high, it’s critical that we stay grounded in facts as this difficult issue plays out,” the district noted in an amended statement.
The case also claims that Labrador-Sierra does not have the legal right to buy, acquire, or possess a firearm in the United States.
The agency stated that he provided false information on an Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) form to purchase a gun.
He is being held at the Lucas County Jail.
If convicted, Labrador-Sierra faces up to 15 years in prison for illegal gun possession, 10 years in jail for making a false statement during gun transaction, and up to five years in prison for using fraudulent documentation, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
“We know that additional information may become available, and we are dedicated to learning everything we can as this situation unfolds. “We will share additional information as we are able,” the school district stated.
The organization also stated that the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding the case is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.