Indictment Against Venezuelan Illegal Immigrant for Firearm Charges
A federal jury has indicted 24-year-old Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela residing in Perrysburg, Ohio. The charges against him include illegal possession of a firearm, providing false information during a firearm purchase, and using fraudulent documents.
The indictment claims that Labrador Sierra misrepresented his date of birth to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to secure temporary protected status and employment authorization in 2024 and 2025. Additionally, he is accused of possessing an Aries G3C 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which he should not have had due to his immigration status. Reports indicate he provided false information to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) during the purchase process.
Local authorities have noted a decline in crime rates as they pursued cases involving Venezuelans allegedly posing as minors at high schools in Ohio. Interestingly, Labrador Sierra’s situation is entwined with claims he used phony documents to enroll as a 16-year-old student at a local high school.
According to the indictment, he falsely stated that he was neither a U.S. citizen nor an illegal alien and had not entered the country on a non-immigrant visa. If convicted, Labrador Sierra faces potentially severe penalties: up to 15 years in prison for the firearm possession charge and up to 10 years for lying during the purchase, along with a possible five-year sentence for using false documents.
Previously, court documents suggested he had been charged with forgery after allegedly enrolling at a public high school with counterfeit papers. The Perrysburg Police Department responded to reports of possible fraud involving a student last month, forwarding the case to detectives.
Collaborating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), investigators determined Labrador Sierra’s true age and his deceptive enrollment practices. He had managed to integrate into the school system, even obtaining a state driver’s license and a social security number.
Reportedly, Wood County Juvenile Court appointed a guardian for him. However, concerns mounted when parents informed school officials that he might be 24 and not a minor. Labrador Sierra denied these allegations during discussions with district administrators.
The school district later confirmed Labrador Sierra participated in sports, such as junior varsity soccer and swimming. He was apprehended during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 and is believed to have overstayed his visa that was issued in 2019. U.S. authorities have confirmed he had obtained temporary protected status as well.
