Ex School Chief Gets 2 Year Sentence

Ian Roberts was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district falsely claimed to be a US citizen and illegally possessed firearms.

According to the report, he pleaded guilty in January.

He is expected to be deported to his native Guyana in South America once he serves his sentence.

Prosecutors alleged that the former superintendent knowingly lacked employment authorization for nearly all of his 2‑decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired to lead the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.

The Des Moines community was outraged and stunned by his arrest in September, which came as President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign was escalating in cities across the country.

He was subject to a final removal order issued in 2024 and appeared in the courtroom with his wrists and feet cuffed, speaking to US District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger for nearly half an hour.

He pleaded for leniency, acknowledging that his dedication to teaching thousands of children and his achievements did not “excuse my poor choice, my ethical lapse,” and said he knew he had disappointed many people, including children.

He wiped away tears as he described a letter he received from a Des Moines second grader, saying “I regret what I’ve done every single day.”

His lawyers had proposed that he be put on probation to facilitate his removal from the United States, but prosecutors argued that his likely deportation should not be a factor and sought a 3‑year sentence, at the top end of the sentencing guidelines.

Ebinger explained her decision, saying Roberts knowingly lied about his citizenship status to earn an “incredible position of trust” and said it was “not an isolated ethical lapse.” While describing the dozens of letters of support that were submitted on his behalf as powerful and mitigating, Ebinger said probation was not a sufficient sentence.

Also in the courtroom were his wife, friends, and colleagues, including Nicole Price, an education consultant with whom he worked for years. Des Moines Public Schools said last month that it revised its conflict‑of‑interest policy after an audit found he awarded district business to Price’s consulting firm that he worked for.

Roberts was in his school‑issued vehicle when officers stopped him on September 26 in a targeted US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation.

He allegedly fled before he was located with the help of state troopers, and authorities said a loaded handgun was wrapped in a towel under the seat and $3,000 in cash was in the car.

Three other weapons were recovered during a search of his home.

Attorneys for the former superintendent said he was denied lawful permanent residency after marrying a US citizen because he had failed to disclose in his application that he had been arrested. They said he did not think he needed to because the charges against him were dropped, but this initial mistake “sealed his fate” and “haunted him like a ghost” for the next 24 years, eventually derailing his life and career.

The case has raised questions about the US immigration system and the challenges faced by individuals seeking to adjust their status.