Former Des Moines Superintendent Ian Roberts Pleads Guilty to Federal Felonies

Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, pleaded guilty in federal court in Des Moines to two felonies, admitting he lied about his citizenship on an employment form and possessed firearms while in the United States illegally. Federal prosecutors say Dr.

Roberts worked without permission and continued after a judge ordered his deportation. He was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September after agents found him hiding near a trailer park; prosecutors said he fled from officers in a district-owned Jeep and a loaded handgun was later found.

He had told the school district and a state licensing board that he was a U.S. citizen. The arrest prompted protests and student walkouts in Des Moines, and officials said they had not known of his immigration status. The Trump administration, the article says, highlighted the case as an example of illegal immigration.

The episode spurred a Justice Department review of the district’s hiring programs, a lawsuit by the school board against a consulting firm over vetting, and the withdrawal of a school board chair’s Senate campaign; a $265 million bond referendum Mr. Roberts had supported passed with more than 70 percent of voters.

Key Topics

Politics, Ian Roberts, Des Moines, Immigration Agents, Deportation, Justice Department