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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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A former Iowa school superintendent on Thursday admitted to lying about his U.S. citizenship status as he entered into a plea deal over two federal charges.
During a hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Ian Roberts, who had led Des Moines Public Schools, pleaded guilty to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form and illegally possessing firearms.
The Department of Justice declined to comment further on the case.
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Why It Matters
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) arrest of Roberts in September gained national attention as he had led Iowa’s largest school district and was accused of falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen when he filled out an I-9 form when taking on a role with the district.
gov.uscourts.iasd_.92266.35.0.pdf.PDF
What To Know
The plea deal reached Thursday means Roberts, a Guyanan national, will avoid a trial originally scheduled for March, following his arrest in September 2025.
ICE pulled over Roberts in his school-issued Jeep, but he allegedly fled from agents who, with the help of state troopers, later found the car abandoned and Roberts in a wooded area.
In the vehicle, officers found a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under a seat, along with $3,000 in cash. Officers also said they found a rifle and a shotgun in his home.
The federal government accused him of illegally possessing a firearm and making a false statement for employment.
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The second charge was linked to an I-9 form Roberts filled out when taking on his superintendent role in June 2023. The plea deal said that he had not ever been a U.S. citizen and that he had knowingly made the false statement.
The original complaint against Roberts, filed in October, stated he had lost work authorization in December 2020 and had been ordered removed from the U.S. in absentia in May 2024.
As part of the plea deal, the government agreed not to prosecute Roberts further in the Southern District of Iowa, but that did not mean it could not seek other routes to prosecute him further, including seeking his deportation.
According to the agreement, Roberts said he understood that by pleading guilty, he was limiting his ability to challenge his removal from the U.S.
What People Are Saying
Des Moines Public Schools in a statement to Newsweek on Thursday: "The school district is not involved in, nor commenting on, the former superintendent’s legal proceedings, including a plea agreement. Our focus at DMPS remains on serving the educational needs of students in Des Moines and delivering on commitments made to our community, including the voter-approved bond to advance our Reimagining Education initiative."
What Happens Next
Roberts now awaits sentencing, with the false statement charge carrying up to five years in prison and a fine, while the firearms charge could mean up to 15 years in prison and a fine.
Update 1/23/26, 9:17 a.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect the DOJ's response and comment from Des Moines Public Schools.
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