The illegal immigrant ex-superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools has pleaded guilty to federal charges for lying about his immigration status and possessing a firearm.
Ian Andre Roberts, 55, falsely claimed that he was an American citizen when he applied for the role to lead Des Moines Public Schools in June 2023, according to the Department of Justice.
On September 26, 2025, Roberts knowingly possessed a loaded Glock pistol in his vehicle while understanding that he was unlawfully present in the United States. On the same day, Roberts also possessed three additional firearms at his residence, including a loaded pistol, a loaded rifle, and a shotgun.
In entering a guilty plea, Roberts agreed to forfeit the weapons and his right to ever challenge the forfeiture, according to Fox News.
Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2026, and faces up to 15 years in prison on the firearms charge and up to five years in prison on the false statements charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
He also likely faces deportation after serving his time.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Roberts, who hails from Guyana, in September based on his deportation order, which was issued in May 2024. Officers caught Roberts with a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife after he tried to flee the scene, the Department of Homeland Security said at the time.
Roberts arrived in the United States in 1994 as a tourist, according to DHS. In 1999, he received a student visa.
Roberts was charged in 1996 with criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a forgery device, and possession of a forged instrument in New York, DHS said.
In 1998, he was charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle in Queens, New York, which was later dismissed.
By 2012, Roberts was convicted of reckless driving, unsafe operation, and speeding in Maryland.
Roberts was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (having a loaded firearm outside his home or business); third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (an ammunition-feeding device); and fourth-degree weapon charges in 2012.
In 2022, he was convicted of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in Pennsylvania.
Roberts attempted to apply for a green card on four different occasions, facing a denial each time.
The Guyanese man’s work permit expired on December 18, 2020, roughly three years before he assumed the superintendent role in Iowa, according to DHS.
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