Former Des Moines Superintendent Pleads Guilty To Citizenship And Gun Charges

Ian Andre Roberts pleaded guilty to one count of making a false attestation on an Employment Eligibility Verification form and one count of illegal firearms possession, U.S. Magistrate Judge Helen C. Adams confirmed during a hearing, according to court records.

Roberts led Des Moines Public Schools, which serves 30,000 students, and was placed on leave Sept. 27, 2024 and resigned Sept. 30, 2024 after he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sept. 26, 2024, records show.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa agreed in the plea agreement to recommend leniency and not to pursue additional charges, and Alfredo Parrish, one of Roberts' attorneys, told reporters that Roberts "wanted to accept responsibility," according to court filings and press statements.

Charging documents say authorities found a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat of Roberts' school-issued Jeep Cherokee, and recovered a second pistol, a rifle and a shotgun during a search of his home, along with $3,000 in cash.

Roberts will remain in custody pending sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger on May 29, 2025, and court records state he could face deportation after any sentence and will forfeit the firearms.