Ex-Iowa school superintendent sentenced to prison as an illegal alien found with firearms

The erstwhile superintendent of Iowa's largest schoolhouse territory was sentenced Friday to 2 years successful situation aft pleading blameworthy successful January to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship connected employment paperwork and illegally possessing firearms portion unlawfully successful the United States

Ian Andre Roberts, who served arsenic the apical person of Des Moines Public Schools, is expected to beryllium deported to his autochthonal Guyana successful South America aft completing his sentence, according to his attorneys and the Associated Press (AP).

The ruling caps a melodramatic downturn successful the longtime educator’s two-decade vocation successful municipality education, according to the Associated Press (AP). It archetypal unraveled aft an migration cognition led to his detention and resignation successful 2025.

Prosecutors said Roberts knowingly misrepresented his citizenship presumption connected employment paperwork during his clip astatine the district, which serves 30,000 students, according to the AP.

FORMER IOWA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES

Ian Roberts, erstwhile superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, speaks to students astatine Theodore Roosevelt High School successful Des Moines connected Oct. 21, 2024. (Jon Lemons/Des Moines Public Schools)

During his hiring process, Roberts allegedly submitted a counterfeit Social Security paper and falsely claimed U.S. citizenship successful an exertion to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, which issued him a nonrecreational head licence that year, prosecutors said.

SCHOOL CHIEF TO SUSPECT: ICE ARREST OF DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT EXPOSES FAKE DEGREES, DRUG CONVICTIONS

Roberts was archetypal arrested connected Sept. 26, 2025.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Roberts was successful a school-issued conveyance erstwhile officials approached him.

ICE officials said Roberts sped away, abandoned the vehicle, and attempted to fell earlier being located with the assistance of authorities patrol officers.

At the clip of the arrest, authorities said a loaded handgun wrapped successful a towel was recovered nether the seat, on with astir $3,000 successful currency wrong the vehicle.

Under the presumption of his plea agreement, Roberts acknowledged possessing 4 guns, including a loaded Glock handgun recovered successful his vehicle. The remaining weapons were recovered during a hunt of his location and included a rifle, a shotgun, and different pistol.

Former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested successful 2025 connected migration and weapons charges. (Polk County Sheriff/Associated Press)

Before his clip astatine the district, Roberts was issued a announcement to look earlier an migration justice successful October 2020, months earlier his enactment authorization expired, and was aboriginal taxable to a last bid of removal successful 2024, according to the authorities.

District officials told the AP that they were unaware of immoderate immigration-related issues involving Roberts.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) antecedently said Roberts had a transgression past that included a narcotics possession offense. He was besides accused of unauthorized usage of a vehicle, though the complaint was aboriginal dropped.

Ian Roberts, erstwhile caput of Des Moines Public Schools, has a agelong transgression history, the Department of Homeland Security said. (Getty Images)

Roberts’ attorneys had sought probation, but the justice rejected that request, according to the AP. Roberts expressed remorse astatine sentencing, the outlet reported.

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Roberts, who is joined to a U.S. citizen, was denied lawful imperishable residency aft officials said helium failed to disclose anterior arrests successful his application, according to the AP. He reportedly said helium did not judge disclosure was indispensable due to the fact that the charges had been dropped.

Following his detention, an audit besides recovered Roberts had awarded territory concern to a consulting steadfast with which helium had antecedently worked, prompting Des Moines Public Schools to reappraisal its conflict-of-interest policy, the outlet added.