Iowa superintendent detained by ICE falsely claimed he was a US citizen, indictment says

The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district has been indicted by a federal grand jury after authorities said he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen who was eligible to work.

A two-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury Thursday evening des moines Ian Roberts is charged with one count of making a false statement for employment and one count of being an illegal alien possessing a firearm.

Roberts, who is originally from Guyana and worked for two decades in school districts across the country, was detained on September 26 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a targeted operation.

Authorities said Roberts fled from agents in his district-issued Jeep Cherokee before being found in a wooded area. Investigators said Roberts had a handgun wrapped in a towel inside the car.

Des Moines Public Schools appointed Ian Roberts to lead its district of about 30,000 students in 2023.

The indictment alleges that he made “false attestations” on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Eligibility Verification Form, known as the I-9, and claimed he was a U.S. citizen when he knew he was not.

Roberts’ attorney, Alfredo Parrish, did not immediately return a phone message.

An immigration judge issued a final removal order last year, and an appeal to reopen immigration proceedings was rejected earlier this year, federal officials said.

After being detained by ICE, Roberts was transferred to federal custody on an arrest warrant on October 2 and charged with illegal possession of a firearm while in the US illegally. In addition to the one in his vehicle when he was arrested, three other weapons were found during a search of Roberts’ home, authorities said. The indictment mentions all four weapons, including two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun.

The district is facing repercussions, filing a lawsuit against the consulting firm used to facilitate the superintendent search in 2023. After an AP investigation identified Roberts’ history of school districts hiring a firm that marketed him as a consultant, school board President Jackie Norris proposed a review of his spending in Des Moines. Norris also ended his campaign for U.S. Senate on Thursday.

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Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa.