By Abigail Archer
The former superintendent of a Des Moines, Iowa, school district, who was arrested in September 2025 by Immigrants and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison.
Ian Roberts served as the superintendent of the largest school district in Iowa and was hired by the district in 2023. He was aware he lacked employment authorization for most of his two-decade educational career. He also used a counterfeit Social Security card during the superintendent hiring process.
The Guyana native fled from ICE agents when they pulled him over while he was driving a school-issued vehicle in September, the outlet previously reported. Authorities found his vehicle in a wooded area with $3,000 worth of cash inside. There was a loaded handgun inside the car.
Roberts initially pleaded not guilty to the charges of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the U.S. illegally and making a false statement for employment, the AP reported. He then switched his claim in January, pleading guilty to both counts.
Roberts pleaded for leniency when he spoke to U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger for almost half an hour on Friday. He said that his commitment to education did not “excuse [his] poor choice, [his] ethical lapse,” according to the AP.
“I regret what I’ve done every day,” Roberts added after tearfully describing a letter that a Des Moines second grader had sent to him.
UPDATE ON DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE
ICE Des Moines arrested Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien from Guyana, in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife, after he tried to evade arrest.
⬇️ https://t.co/wE49Gb5waZ pic.twitter.com/n2vn2HR4xG— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) May 27, 2026
His lawyers requested that the judge put Roberts on probation for deportation. Prosecutors argued that probable deportation should not factor into the judge’s decision. They urged the judge to deliver a three-year sentence, according to the AP.
Ebinger stated that Roberts lied to gain an “incredible position of trust” when she explained his sentence. She also emphasized that it was “not an isolated ethical lapse” and that probation was not a sufficient punishment.
Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) released an investigation report into their 2023 superintendent hiring process after Roberts’ arrest.
“The evidence shows the Board’s search process was methodical, data-informed, and rigorous from inception through selection,” the investigation read.
“[The] Board’s process was designed to select a superintendent aligned with the District’s needs and priorities,” they continued.
The Daily Caller reached out to DMPS for comment on Roberts’ sentencing but did not hear back before publication.
Cooper Smith, director of Homeland Security and Immigration at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), previously slammed “bad actors” who take advantage of Americans. (RELATED: Arlington County Previously Released Criminal Illegal Immigrant Now Accused Of Sexual Battery)
“An illegal alien was able to falsely claim U.S. citizenship, get a top job in a public school system, and illegally possess firearms,” Smith told the Daily Caller in an email in January.
“Yet again, bad actors from around the world are committing fraud and taking advantage of the American people. This must end, and thankfully, the Trump Administration is taking strong action,” Smith added.
Roberts’ attorneys said they believe he will probably be deported to Guyana after serving his sentence, the AP reported.
