DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, faces serious legal challenges after being indicted by a federal grand jury in Des Moines. The indictment, returned on Thursday evening, includes one count of making a false statement regarding employment eligibility and another count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Roberts, originally from Guyana, was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on September 26. Authorities reported that he fled from agents before being found in a wooded area. During a search of his district-issued car, agents found a handgun concealed in a towel.
Des Moines Public Schools had appointed Roberts in 2023, serving a community of approximately 30,000 students. The indictment alleges that Roberts made a false attestation on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9), claiming to be a U.S. citizen despite knowing he wasn't.
Following this incident, Roberts’s attorney, Alfredo Parrish, has not issued any public comments. Meanwhile, federal authorities disclosed that an immigration judge had issued a final removal order against Roberts last year, and an appeal to reopen his immigration case was declined this year.
After his detention, Roberts was transferred to federal custody, facing charges for illegally possessing firearms. In addition to the handgun found in his vehicle, investigators discovered three more weapons during a raid on his residence, comprising two pistols, a rifle, and a shotgun.
The fallout of this situation has affected not just Roberts but also the school district, which has filed a lawsuit against the consulting firm responsible for recruiting Roberts. An investigation by the Associated Press unearthed a troubling pattern of the firm assisting in his placements across various school districts.
The district's chairperson, Jackie Norris, has publicly stated her intent to review Roberts’s expenditures in light of these revelations and has also withdrawn from her campaign for the U.S. Senate following the incident.
This case highlights significant concerns regarding hiring practices and immigration policies affecting the educational sector in Iowa.
