On May 29, 2026, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Andre Roberts to 24 months in federal prison. Roberts pleaded guilty to False Statement for Employment and Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm.
According to court documents, Roberts falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on employment paperwork related to his position at Des Moines Public Schools in June 2023. He has never been a U.S. citizen. The sentencing followed an ICE enforcement operation in September 2025 that revealed Roberts was a Guyana national with a final order of removal and no work authorization.
Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and received a final order of removal in May 2024. During the ICE operation on September 26, 2025, officers found Roberts in possession of multiple firearms, including a loaded pistol, rifle, and shotgun, while driving with a loaded Glock handgun. He also had $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife at his residence.
The court granted Roberts eight months of credit for time already served, reducing his sentence to 24 months. His attorney did not plan to appeal the ruling. After completing his prison term, Roberts will be deported to Guyana under federal immigration law.
