Long Criminal History of Des Moines School Head Revealed
Ian Andre Roberts, who illegally resided in the U.S. and was the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, has a significant criminal background that dates back to the mid-1990s, as disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday.
According to reports from Breitbart News, Roberts was arrested last week by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following a final deportation order from a federal judge in May 2024. During the arrest, officials discovered $3,000 in a government-issued vehicle, along with a loaded handgun and a hunting knife.
DHS has stated that Roberts had a history of criminal activity even before joining the Des Moines Board of Education.
Tricia McLaughlin from DHS remarked, “Ian Andre Roberts, an illegal foreigner with numerous charges related to weapons and drug trafficking, should not have been around children.” When he was arrested, he had an illegal firearm, a hunting knife, and nearly $3,000 in cash. Roberts is currently in detention and faces allegations concerning his status as an undocumented immigrant carrying a weapon.
Roberts faced various criminal charges starting in July 1996, which included drug possession and possession of counterfeit items in New York. Later, in November 1998, he was charged with multiple vehicle-related offenses, although this request was rejected in July 1999. A few years down the line, in November 2012, he was convicted of reckless driving, unsafe vehicle operation, and speeding in Maryland.
In February 2020, he was charged with possessing a loaded firearm in his residence, alongside other weapon-related charges. By January 2022, he had been convicted of having an array of firearms in Pennsylvania.
Remarkably, just under two years after his last conviction, Roberts was appointed as head of Des Moines Public Schools, lauded by the board for his support of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
DHS has also provided an overview of Roberts’ immigration history to clarify how he initially entered the U.S. and the factors leading to his deportation order.
Roberts entered the United States on June 1, 1994, at JFK International Airport with a B-2 non-immigrant visa but left on an unknown date. He returned and was arrested for drug possession in 1996. On March 8, 1999, he entered the U.S. again, this time with an F-1 student visa, and had several subsequent entries and exits over the years. He applied for a green card multiple times, but these applications were frequently denied.
On May 22, 2024, an immigration judge ordered his removal in absentia. Efforts to resume his case were denied, leading up to his eventual arrest by ICE on September 26, 2025, in Des Moines.
