The former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools is expected to plead guilty Thursday in federal court to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen after he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in September 2025.
Ian Roberts, a Guyana native, was arrested by federal immigration officers on Sept. 26, 2025 in a targeted operation, according to the Associated Press (AP). Roberts allegedly fled from federal agents when he was pulled over in a school-issued vehicle.
Roberts was located with the help of state troopers, and agents later found his car — which allegedly contained a loaded handgun and $3,000 in cash — in a wooded area, the AP reported. In addition, three other guns were found during a search of Roberts’ house, according to the Des Moines Register. (RELATED: Feds Arrest Suspects In Minnesota Church Protest)
Roberts was charged with one count of making a false statement for employment and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the country illegally, the AP reported. In October, he pleaded not guilty to both charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Roberts allegedly made a “false attestation” on his I-9 Employment Eligibility Form claiming he was a U.S. citizen, the outlet reported, citing the plea agreement.
He completed the I-9 form when he was hired by the Iowa school district in 2023 and used a Social Security card and driver’s license as verifying documents, according to the outlet, which cited the school district. Roberts also allegedly said he was a U.S. citizen when applying for a professional administrator’s license from the state board of educational examiners in 2023.
Roberts was set to appear before an immigration judge in October 2020 ahead of his work authorization expiring. A final removal was set for 2024, the outlet noted, citing authorities.
As part of the plea deal, the government has agreed not to pursue any further charges against Roberts or others related to the guns discovered in his possession or the false statements he allegedly made when applying for a job in the Iowa school district, according to the Des Moines Register.
Besides the 20-year prison sentence, Roberts faces two $250,000 fines and up to three years of supervised release for each of the charges, KCCI reported.
Cooper Smith, director of Homeland Security and Immigration at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), reacted to Roberts’ arrest, saying “bad actors” must stop “taking advantage of the American people.”
“An illegal alien was able to falsely claim U.S. citizenship, get a top job in a public school system, and illegally possess firearms. Yet again, bad actors from around the world are committing fraud and taking advantage of the American people. This must end, and thankfully, the Trump Administration is taking strong action,” Smith told the Daily Caller in an email.