Ian Andre Roberts, who was previously the superintendent of public schools in Des Moines, Iowa, has admitted guilt to federal charges of providing false statements to gain employment in the U.S. and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
As reported, Roberts was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in September 2025, following a deportation order issued by a federal immigration judge back in May 2024. During his arrest, officials discovered $3,000 in cash inside his government vehicle, along with a hunting knife and a loaded handgun.
At the time he was taken into custody, Roberts had been elected as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in July 2023. The school board had previously celebrated him as “passionate about educational excellence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and innovation.”
Later on, federal prosecutors charged him for making false employment statements and illegal firearm possession, to which he has since pleaded guilty.
According to details from court documents:
Roberts falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on employment paperwork related to his job with Des Moines Public Schools starting in June 2023. In reality, he was not a U.S. citizen. On September 26, 2025, he was found with a loaded Glock pistol in his vehicle, fully aware of his illegal status in the U.S. On that same day, three additional firearms were located at his residence: a loaded pistol, a loaded rifle, and a shotgun.
Roberts is scheduled for sentencing on May 26 and could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had reviewed Roberts’ extensive criminal record prior to his appointment as superintendent.
The DHS noted that he was charged in New York in July 1996 for drug possession related to sales, as well as criminal possession of counterfeit instruments.
In November 1998, he was also charged in New York with unauthorized vehicle use, although those charges were later dropped in July 1999.
Years later, in November 2012, Roberts faced convictions for reckless driving, dangerous driving, and speeding in Maryland.
Then, in February 2020, he encountered charges again for possessing weapons illegally, relating to a loaded firearm found in his home.
In January 2022, Roberts was convicted in Pennsylvania for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm.
