Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, has been charged in federal court with possessing firearms while living in the United States illegally, prosecutors said Thursday. Roberts, 54, resigned earlier this week after his arrest by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who stopped him last Friday with help from the Iowa State Patrol.
Court filings say agents found a handgun wrapped in a towel inside the Jeep Cherokee Roberts was driving. Three additional firearms, a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun, all reportedly loaded were later discovered at his home. Authorities allege Roberts had no legal status in the US since 2020 and was under a final removal order issued last year.
Roberts, originally from Guyana, had previously been authorized to work in the US but his immigration status lapsed. His attorney, Alfredo Parrish, said Roberts will plead not guilty and stressed the presumption of innocence. “He will exercise his right to indicate to the court, if he is indicted, that he’s not guilty,” Parrish said, noting that a grand jury has not yet issued an indictment.
The case has been complicated by confusion over Roberts’ immigration proceedings. His former attorney, Jackeline Gonzalez, wrote to him last year suggesting his case had reached a “successful resolution.” However, court documents state the letter merely closed his file with her office and did not resolve his deportation order, which an immigration judge upheld in April.
Roberts had served as superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district since 2021. His resignation followed a tumultuous week as federal prosecutors confirmed he was being held in Sioux City on weapons charges.
