Former Des Moines Schools Superintendent to Plead Guilty to False U.S. Citizenship Claim and Illegal Gun Possession
Former Des Moines schools superintendent Ian Roberts has signed a plea agreement and is expected to plead guilty to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on employment and licensing forms and to illegal possession of firearms as a non‑citizen, acknowledging he could be deported and facing maximum penalties of up to five years and $250,000 for the false‑statement count and up to 15 years and $250,000 for the firearms count. Court and immigration records show an initial U.S. entry in 1994 with an F‑1 return in 1999, a denied green card in 2003, work authorization granted in 2018 that expired in late 2020, a notice to appear in October 2020 and a 2024 final removal order; ICE says a Sept. 26, 2025 traffic stop of a school‑issued Jeep Cherokee (which Roberts fled and abandoned) produced a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat and $3,000 in cash, and three additional firearms seized from his home will be forfeited, while district officials say they relied on his Social Security card, driver’s license and licenses and were unaware of immigration issues.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- Ian Roberts, the former Des Moines Schools superintendent, has signed a plea agreement and is expected to plead guilty to two federal counts: falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on an I‑9 form and illegal possession of firearms as a non‑citizen.
- The plea agreement acknowledges he could be deported after serving any sentence and sets maximum penalties of up to five years and a $250,000 fine on the false‑citizenship count and up to 15 years and a $250,000 fine on the firearms count.
- Court filings outline Roberts’s immigration history: initial U.S. entry in 1994 on a non‑immigrant visa, return on an F‑1 student visa in 1999, a green‑card denial in 2003, a notice to appear in October 2020, work authorization approved in 2018 that expired in December 2020, and a final removal order in 2024; Des Moines district officials say they were unaware of the removal order.
- Filings say Roberts falsely attested to U.S. citizenship on his Des Moines I‑9 and on his state administrator‑license application; district officials say they relied on his Social Security card, driver’s license and professional licenses and did not know about his immigration issues.
- ICE says that after Roberts fled a September 26, 2025 traffic stop in a school‑issued Jeep Cherokee and abandoned the vehicle, agents found a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat and $3,000 in cash inside the vehicle.
- Three additional firearms — two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun — were seized from his home and will be forfeited under the plea deal.
đź“° Source Timeline (3)
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- Confirms Roberts has now signed a plea agreement and is expected to plead guilty Thursday to both the false‑statement and firearms counts.
- Details that the plea agreement includes explicit acknowledgment that he could be deported after serving his sentence.
- Spells out that ICE’s September stop involved an alleged flight in a school‑issued Jeep Cherokee, an abandoned vehicle, a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat, and $3,000 in cash.
- Clarifies that three additional firearms (two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun) were seized from his home and will be forfeited under the plea deal.
- Provides more complete immigration‑status timeline: notice to appear in October 2020, work authorization due to expire months later, and a final removal order in 2024, which Des Moines district officials say they did not know about.
- Confirms via filed plea agreement that Ian Roberts will plead guilty to both counts: falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on an I‑9 form and illegal possession of firearms as a non‑citizen.
- Details his immigration history: initial U.S. entry in 1994 on a non‑immigrant visa, return on F‑1 student visa in 1999, green‑card denial in 2003, work‑authorization approval in 2018 with expiration in December 2020, and a 2024 final removal order.
- Specifies that ICE found a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat and $3,000 in cash in his school‑issued Jeep Cherokee when he fled a September 26, 2025 traffic stop.
- Reports that Roberts falsely attested to U.S. citizenship on his Des Moines I‑9 and on his state administrator‑license application, and that district officials say they relied on his Social Security card, driver’s license and licenses and were unaware of any immigration issues.
- Notes that the plea agreement acknowledges he understands he could face deportation after serving any sentence, and sets out maximum penalties of five years and a $250,000 fine on the false‑citizenship count and 15 years and a $250,000 fine on the firearms count.