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Sports

Police Arrest Alleged 30-Year-Old High School Basketball Player Who Posed as a Teenager

Jonathan Nicola, believed to be 30, played high school basketball in Windsor, Ontario, posing as a 17-year-old.

What once looked like a feel-good story of a teenage refugee from war-torn Africa turning his life over in Canada has taken an unexpected turn.

Jonathan Nicola, a 6'9", 202-pounder, was a star for Catholic Central's high school senior basketball team in Windsor, Ontario, and believed to be 17 years old. But it turns out it was all an act. Nicola, enrolled as a Grade 11 student, was arrested by Canadian border officers this week after it was discovered that he's not in fact a teenager, but allegedly a 30-year-old man. As of Wednesday, he was being held at the South West Detention Centre in Windsor.

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Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board spokesman Stephen Fields was close-mouthed about the situation, according to Trevor Wilhelm of the Windsor Star:

There's really not a whole lot to say. Because of the fact this is a matter that's still outstanding before the federal authorities, obviously we can't really comment on it. Beyond that there's not a whole lot to say.

According to Wilhelm, Nicola was arrested by the Canada Border Services Agency on Wednesday for allegedly violating the Immigration Refugee Protection Act. Nicola, who is in Canada on a student visa, had a hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board and is being held in custody. He has another hearing scheduled for next week.

Nicola was living with the team's head coach Pete Cusumano after leaving South Sudan through a program called Canada Homestay. Below is a workout video of Nicola taken earlier this season.