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The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district was sentenced Friday to two years in prison after pleading guilty in January to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on employment paperwork and illegally possessing firearms while unlawfully in the United States
Ian Andre Roberts, who served as the top leader of Des Moines Public Schools, is expected to be deported to his native Guyana in South America after completing his sentence, according to his attorneys and the Associated Press (AP).
The ruling caps a dramatic downturn in the longtime educator’s two-decade career in urban education, according to the Associated Press (AP). It first unraveled after an immigration operation led to his detention and resignation in 2025.
Prosecutors said Roberts knowingly misrepresented his citizenship status on employment paperwork during his time at the district, which serves 30,000 students, according to the AP.
FORMER IOWA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES
Ian Roberts, former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, speaks to students at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines on Oct. 21, 2024. (Jon Lemons/Des Moines Public Schools)
During his hiring process, Roberts allegedly submitted a counterfeit Social Security card and falsely claimed U.S. citizenship in an application to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, which issued him a professional administrator license that year, prosecutors said.
SCHOOL CHIEF TO SUSPECT: ICE ARREST OF DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT EXPOSES FAKE DEGREES, DRUG CONVICTIONS
Roberts was first arrested on Sept. 26, 2025.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Roberts was in a school-issued vehicle when officials approached him.
ICE officials said Roberts sped away, abandoned the vehicle, and attempted to hide before being located with the assistance of state patrol officers.
At the time of the arrest, authorities said a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel was found under the seat, along with approximately $3,000 in cash inside the vehicle.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Roberts acknowledged possessing four guns, including a loaded Glock handgun found in his vehicle. The remaining weapons were found during a search of his home and included a rifle, a shotgun, and another pistol.
Former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested in 2025 on immigration and weapons charges. (Polk County Sheriff/Associated Press)
Before his time at the district, 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, according to the authorities.
District officials told the AP that they were unaware of any immigration-related issues involving Roberts.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously said Roberts had a criminal history that included a narcotics possession offense. He was also accused of unauthorized use of a vehicle, though the charge was later dropped.
Ian Roberts, former head of Des Moines Public Schools, has a long criminal history, the Department of Homeland Security said. (Getty Images)
Roberts’ attorneys had sought probation, but the judge rejected that request, according to the AP. Roberts expressed remorse at sentencing, the outlet reported.
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Roberts, who is married to a U.S. citizen, was denied lawful permanent residency after officials said he failed to disclose prior arrests in his application, according to the AP. He reportedly said he did not believe disclosure was necessary because the charges had been dropped.
Following his detention, an audit also found Roberts had awarded district business to a consulting firm with which he had previously worked, prompting Des Moines Public Schools to review its conflict-of-interest policy, the outlet added.