The ex-superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district entered a guilty plea on Thursday to two federal charges, one of which involved falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
Ian Andre Roberts, originally from Guyana in South America, had been at the helm of Des Moines Public Schools. He also confessed to being an undocumented immigrant in possession of firearms.
Roberts was taken into custody by federal immigration officials on September 26, 2025, and he subsequently stepped down from his leading role in the district.
As part of the plea deal, Roberts admitted to owning four firearms. These included a loaded Glock handgun discovered in his car during his arrest, along with a rifle, a shotgun, and another pistol found at his residence during a search.
Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, addresses students at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines on October 21, 2024. (Jon Lemons/Des Moines Public Schools via AP)
Court documents indicate that all the firearms had crossed state lines, thereby granting federal authorities jurisdiction over the case. Roberts has consented to permanently relinquish the weapons and has given up any right to dispute the forfeiture now or in the future.
Roberts initially pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to stand trial in March. His guilty plea now exposes him to a combined maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the two charges.
The agreement also states Roberts understands he could be deported following completion of any sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set, and prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges.
Former Des Moines Public School Superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested on immigration and weapons charges. (Polk County Sheriff/Associated Press)
The Department of Homeland Security previously said Roberts has an extensive criminal history involving drug and weapons offenses.
“Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien with multiple weapons charges and a drug trafficking charge, should have never been able to work around children,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said at the time of his arrest. “When ICE officers arrested this superintendent, he was in possession of an illegal handgun, a hunting knife, and nearly $3,000 in cash.”
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Roberts in October. According to court records, Roberts admitted he knowingly and intentionally made a “false attestation” on an employment eligibility verification form, known as an I-9, submitted in Des Moines, claiming he was a U.S. citizen.
Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, delivers an annual address at North High School in Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 11, 2025. (Jon Lemons/Des Moines Public Schools via AP)
District officials said Roberts completed the I-9 when he was hired in 2023, submitting a Social Security card and a driver’s license as documentation. He also claimed U.S. citizenship in an application to the state board of educational examiners, which issued him a professional administrator license that year.
Authorities said Roberts was issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge in October 2020, months before his work authorization expired, and was later subject to a final order of removal in 2024. District officials told The Associated Press they were unaware of any immigration-related issues involving Roberts.
Alfredo Parrish, one of Roberts’ attorneys, has said his client believed, based on advice from a previous lawyer, that his immigration case had been “resolved successfully.”
