Former Des Moines school superintendent Ian Roberts sentenced to 2 years

Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Iowa's largest school district, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of firearms and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.

The sentence included eight months credit for time served. Roberts' attorney said they do not plan to appeal the sentence, according to ABC Des Moines affiliate WOI.

Roberts had served as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools for over two years until his arrest by ICE agents during an immigration operation in September 2025. A loaded handgun was found in his vehicle during his detainment, and three other firearms were subsequently located in his residence, according to prosecutors.

Federal authorities said Roberts has not been authorized to work in the U.S. since December 2020 and, due to his immigration status, could not lawfully possess firearms.

Following his arrest, a federal grand jury indicted Roberts on the charge of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He was also charged with false statement for employment after claiming he was a U.S. citizen on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Verification Form I-9 as part of his employment with the Des Moines Public Schools.

Roberts pleaded guilty to both charges and faced a maximum potential sentence of 15 years on the weapons charge and five years on the false statements charge.

The government asked for a sentence of 37 months -- around three years -- in prison.

"Defendant Ian Andre Roberts betrayed the public's trust when he falsely claimed citizenship to obtain employment as the Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent. Defendant also unlawfully possessed four firearms as an illegal alien," federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed ahead of Friday's hearing.

They argued that Roberts' conduct "demonstrates a longstanding and deliberate pattern spanning more than 15 years," and that a sentence of 37 months "reflects the seriousness of Defendant's crimes, promotes respect for the law, and provides just punishment."

They said his standing in the community are both "mitigating and aggravating" factors.

"Defendant will highlight the teachers, students, and education professionals his work shaped and improved. Nevertheless, Defendant placed his self-interest above the law and the duty he owed the public he served," the prosecutors wrote.

Roberts will be deported following serving his sentence, according to prosecutors.

He asked for a sentence of probation to "facilitate his removal from the United States," according to a sentencing brief filed by his attorneys.

"Dr. Ian Roberts accepted responsibility for his offenses," his attorneys wrote in the brief. "Immediately after his arrest, he admitted his misconduct and advised his counsel to negotiate with the government."

They argued that he has been devoted to public service, is not violent and will "receive the ultimate punishment of banishment from the United States."

"Looking at all his foibles, failures and successes while living in a country he came to love, his successes outweigh his failures," they wrote. "If this court engages in a balancing analysis, comparing Dr. Roberts' contributions to our country as opposed to his failures to comply with our immigration/firearm policies ... Dr. Roberts should receive a sentence of probation to facilitate his removal from the United States."

Prosecutors argued that a lesser sentence based on his "post-sentence immigration consequences fails to capture the sentencing aim of deterring future criminal conduct," and that a period of time served -- approximately eight months -- "would not reflect the seriousness of his conduct."

Roberts had held leadership positions in school districts across the U.S. for some two decades before he started serving as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in July 2023. Prosecutors said he had lawful employment authorization for 18 months of his education career.

He resigned days following his arrest by ICE agents, after the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners said it revoked his administrator license and the Des Moines School Board voted unanimously to put him on unpaid administrative leave and provide proof that he is authorized to work in the U.S. or face termination. He did not provide the board with that information, according to the board.

The Des Moines School Board said it was not aware of Roberts' immigration issues at the time of his hiring.

Roberts, a native of Guyana and former Olympian who competed in the 2000 Sydney Games, entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa that expired in 2004, according to ICE. He has no work authorization in the U.S., and a judge issued a final order of removal in 2024, according to ICE.