A plea agreement was filed on Wednesday in federal court.
Former Iowa school district superintendent who was detained by ICE federally chargedGuyana native Ian Roberts entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa. WOI Local 5 News via AP
ByJames Hill and Meredith Deliso
Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Iowa's largest school district, has agreed to plead guilty to two federal charges, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday in federal court, weeks before his trial was set to begin.
Roberts had served as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools for over two years until his arrest by ICE agents during an immigration operation in September 2025. A loaded handgun was found in his vehicle during his detainment, and three other firearms were subsequently located in his residence, according to prosecutors.
Federal authorities said Roberts has not been authorized to work in the U.S. since December 2020.
Following his arrest, a federal grand jury indicted Roberts on the charge of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He was also charged with false statement for employment after claiming he was a U.S. citizen on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Verification Form I-9 as part of his employment with the Des Moines Public Schools.
Roberts has agreed to plead guilty to both charges, according to the plea agreement. He faces a maximum potential sentence of 15 years on the weapons charge and five years on the false statements charge, according to the plea agreement.
The government notes in the plea agreement that it has agreed to make a recommendation to the sentencing judge that Roberts receive credit for acceptance of responsibility, but that the government has not made any promises to Roberts about how the court will sentence him.
The government is not dropping any charges as part of the agreement, but has agreed not to pursue any additional federal charges against Roberts in the Southern District of Iowa related to the unlawful possession of firearms and false statements concerning his citizenship to Des Moines Public Schools, according to the filing.
The plea agreement noted that Roberts' guilty plea may result in his removal from the U.S. after serving his sentence and "may restrict" his ability to challenge removal from the U.S., since Roberts is not a U.S. citizen.
A change of plea hearing for Roberts is set for Thursday afternoon in Des Moines. He will remain in custody to await the imposition of a sentence.
Roberts had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges following his indictment in October and a jury trial had been scheduled to begin in the case in March.
Last month, attorneys for Roberts noted in a court filing that the parties were continuing to work "in good faith for a resolution."
Roberts had held leadership positions in school districts across the U.S. for some two decades before he started serving as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in July 2023.
He resigned days following his arrest by ICE agents, after the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners said it revoked his administrator license and the Des Moines School Board voted unanimously to put him on unpaid administrative leave and provide proof that he is authorized to work in the U.S. or face termination. He did not provide the board with that information, according to the board.
The Des Moines School Board said it was not aware of Roberts' immigration issues at the time of his hiring.
Roberts, a native of Guyana and former Olympian who competed in the 2000 Sydney Games, entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa that expired in 2004, according to ICE. He has no work authorization in the U.S., and a judge issued a final order of removal in 2024, according to ICE.
