Ian Andre Roberts, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa, has been federally charged with being an “illegal alien in possession of firearms.” The charge stems from his arrest on September 26, 2025, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Roberts, a native of Guyana, was found to be residing in the United States illegally, lacking work authorization, and was subject to a final deportation order issued in May 2024.
During the arrest, authorities discovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun wrapped in a towel under the driver’s seat of a school-issued vehicle Roberts was operating. Subsequent searches revealed three additional firearms—pistols, a rifle, and a shotgun—at his residence. Roberts had previously been convicted in 2020 for a weapons-related offense in Pennsylvania.
Following his arrest, Roberts resigned from his position as superintendent, and the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked his teaching license due to his unlawful presence in the country. Des Moines Public Schools has filed a lawsuit against JG Consulting, the firm responsible for vetting Roberts during the hiring process, alleging negligence for failing to identify red flags in his background. The district claims that Roberts misrepresented his academic credentials and failed to disclose his criminal history and immigration status.
Roberts remains in federal custody and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing. His legal team maintains that he believed his immigration status had been resolved and intends to plead not guilty to the charges.
Source: abc7
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