Iowa Superintendent Charged with Citizenship Fraud, Expected to Change Plea
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, whose arrest by federal immigration agents drew national attention, is expected to change his plea on Thursday in federal court to charges that he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and illegally possessed firearms.
Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, initially pleaded not guilty to the two charges, which together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Subject to a 2024 final removal order, Roberts could also face deportation.
The change-of-plea hearing was scheduled after Roberts’ lawyers said in a court filing that they had been negotiating with federal prosecutors to reach a resolution ahead of a Jan. 28 deadline.
Roberts was superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, a district of about 30,000 students, when he was arrested on Sept. 26 in a targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation. He allegedly fled from federal agents before they detained him in a nearby wooded area with the help of state troopers.
Authorities say they found a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat and $3,000 in cash in the district-issued Jeep Cherokee he was driving.
Roberts, an educator and administrator for two decades in districts across the U.S.,was beloved for his charismatic and exuberant leadership.