Former Principal Ian Roberts of Des Moines Public Schools faces accusations of illegally possessing firearms in the U.S., just days after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, investigators found that Roberts owned four firearms.
Roberts had been taken into custody last Friday due to a removal order issued by an immigration judge in 2024. The complaint noted that he has been involved with existing weapons claims since February 2020.
The charges allege that Roberts, after eluding an ICE officer in his Jeep Cherokee, abandoned the vehicle in nearby grass. Officers later located him about 200 yards away from the car, leading to his detention by ICE.
When searching his vehicle, investigators discovered a handgun wrapped in a towel. Tracing the weapon revealed it was purchased by a woman believed to be Roberts’ wife in Arkansas back in 2019.
At the time of his arrest, Roberts also had $3,000 in cash and a fixed-blade hunting knife, as stated by ICE.
Following his detention, Roberts resigned from his position on Tuesday, the day after being placed on unpaid leave. His educational license was subsequently revoked by the Iowa Education Review Board.
Roberts, a Guinan citizen, entered the U.S. on a student visa in March 1999, which expired in March 2004. He applied for permanent residency three times between May 2001 and June 2018 but was turned down by the U.S. Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
He became the principal in Des Moines in July 2023. Initially, the school district placed him on paid leave when they thought he was a legitimate U.S. citizen.
Reportedly, the Des Moines school board hired Roberts despite discovering that he had lied about earning a doctorate in education leadership from Morgan State University in 2007.
Roberts’ attorney, Alfredo Parrish, stated, “At this point, he has an innocent presumption.” He emphasized that Roberts will exercise his right to prove his innocence if charged.
Parrish also noted that his client has not yet been formally charged. Additionally, the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media that Roberts claimed to have been detained by the Department of Justice but is no longer being held.
