A Texas high school student who led his school's basketball team to the state finals has been exposed as a 22-year-old Haitian man posing as a teenager.
Guerdwich Montimere, a naturalised US citizen born in Haiti, registered himself as a 16-year-old student at Permian High School for the 2009/10 school year, the Associated Press reported.
Using the pseudonym Jerry Joseph, the 22-year-old was taken in by the school's coach when he said he was homeless in the middle of last year.
Since then the 194cm-tall man became a basketball star for the high school team, taking the team to the state playoffs and being awarded the best newcomer.
Montimere had previously attracted attention as an impressive high school basketballer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before he graduated in 2007.
He was caught after coaches from Florida recognised him and reported him to school district officials.
"This affected a lot of people — the whole school of Permian embraced that kid," basketball coach Danny Wright said.
"He deceived us and played on everyone's emotions."
Arrested on Tuesday night, Montimere could face up to six months in prison for the misdemeanour.
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