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| WHO13 /YOUTUBE |
Ian Roberts remains in the Polk County Jail facing a March 2 trial on a charge of possessing a firearm as an illegal immigrant
The illegal alien who served as superintendent of Iowa’s largest public school district appears poised to take a plea deal in federal court.Ian Roberts remains in the Polk County Jail in Des Moines facing a March 2 trial on charges of possessing a firearm as an illegal immigrant and making false statements on his employment authorization form. Roberts claimed he was a U.S. citizen. He was not, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Then again, the Guyana native and longtime educrat whom the Des Moines School Board gleefully hired in 2023 has made a lot of claims that have turned out to be false. It seems he’s still making some. Now, Des Moines Public Schools is trying to recover from a nationally embarrassing episode while Roberts writes about “redemption” on his LinkedIn page — from jail.
‘In Good Faith’
The Des Moines Register on Thursday reported that federal prosecutors and Roberts’ legal counsel have been working on a plea deal for some time. Just what the deal involves isn’t spelled out in court documents, but filings show the sides have sought to extend timelines. The “parties continue to negotiate in good faith for a resolution but need a few more days to discuss the possibility of resolution,” one recent document states. The U.S. District Court in Des Moines ordered a change of plea hearing for Jan. 22.
Roberts, who also is facing deportation, has claimed innocence in the messy matter. His attorney, Alfredo Parrish, could not be reached for comment Thursday at his Des Moines office. The office’s phone system prevented voicemails.
Roberts, according to ICE, had received a final order of removal in May 2024. He spent the next year-plus in the U.S. unlawfully.
Bob Teig, who served for 32 years as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, told WHO13 in Des Moines that prosecutors are supposed to pursue “the most serious, readily provable charges.” The Trump administration clearly has prioritized immigration law enforcement. Still, a plea deal was likely always on the table, said Teig, who is not associated with the case.
“Any prosecution office has more work than it can ever do, and as long as it can serve the public interest by a plea agreement it makes sense probably in the use of judicial and prosecution resources …” the former federal prosecutor told the TV station.
Criminal History --->READ MORE HERE
Des Moines' former school superintendent has pleaded guilty to two federal crimes in a plea deal.
Ian Roberts, who has been in custody since September, is scheduled to formally change his plea before a federal magistrate Thursday, Jan. 22. The plea deal, filed Wednesday by prosecutors with Roberts' signature, shows that the onetime educational rising star is pleading guilty to both of the charges against him: making false statements for employment and possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.
The plea deal does not commit either side to any particular sentencing recommendation, but does contain a promise that the government will not pursue any further charges against Roberts or others related to the guns found in his possession or the false statements made when he was applying for the Des Moines district's top job.
It says he acknowledges that he "may be subject to immediate removal from the United States" once any sentence he's given has been served, and that his plea will limit his ability to challenge deportation. At the time of his arrest, he was under a previously undisclosed deportation order issued by an immigration judge in Texas.
How Ian Roberts wound up in federal court
Roberts was hired to lead Des Moines Public Schools in 2023. Arrested while allegedly trying to flee from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, he submitted his resignation Sept. 30. Federal officials have since said Roberts, a native of Guyana, contrary to representations he made in connection with his hiring, was not a U.S. citizen and lacked legal authorization to work in the United States. Those were among multiple other apparent mistruths and exaggerations about his background and qualifications.
In addition to a pending order of deportation, Roberts was indicted Oct. 16 for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien and making a false statement for employment. Prosecutors alleged that Roberts illegally had four guns, including a loaded handgun left in his district-owned vehicle after he fled from ICE, and that he falsely attested he was a United States citizen when filling out his I-9 employment authorization to work in Des Moines.
What comes next in former superintendent's case? --->READ MORE HERE
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