Former Iowa school superintendent arrested by ICE expected to plead guilty to federal charges

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The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district is set to plead guilty Thursday to a pair of federal charges following his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last year.

Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America and once the leader of Des Moines Public Schools, was detained by federal immigration officers on Sept. 26, 2025. He resigned from his position shortly afterward.

In October, Roberts initially pleaded not guilty to one count of making a false statement for employment and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the U.S. illegally. Together, the charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to prosecutors.

Roberts is now expected to plead guilty to both charges, according to a plea agreement he signed Wednesday. The agreement also indicates that Roberts is aware he could face deportation after he serves his sentence.

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The Department of Homeland Security previously said Roberts has an extensive criminal history, including drug and weapons possession.

“Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien with multiple weapons charges and a drug trafficking charge, should have never been able to work around children,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said around the time of his arrest last September. “When ICE officers arrested this superintendent, he was in possession of an illegal handgun, a hunting knife, and nearly $3,000 in cash.”

A federal grand jury in October returned a two-count indictment. According to the plea agreement, Roberts admitted he knowingly and intentionally made a “false attestation” on the Employment Eligibility Verification form, known as an I-9, that he submitted in Des Moines, claiming he was a U.S. citizen. That carries a punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine.

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Former Iowa superintendent Ian Roberts speaks to students

Roberts completed the I-9 form when he was hired in 2023 and submitted a Social Security card and driver’s license as verifying documents, according to the district. He also stated he was a U.S. citizen in his application to the state board of educational examiners, which issued Roberts a professional administrator license in 2023.

Roberts was subject to a notice to appear before an immigration judge in October 2020, just months before his work authorization was set to expire, and a final removal order in 2024, authorities said. District officials said they were not aware of the immigration issues, The Associated Press reported.

Alfredo Parrish, one of Roberts’ attorneys, has said his client was under the impression from a prior attorney that his immigration case was “resolved successfully.”

Roberts also faces a federal weapons charge, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine. The indictment describes two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun found in Roberts’ possession. In addition to the one in his vehicle when he was arrested, three firearms were found during a search of Roberts’ home, authorities said.