{"id":10609,"date":"2026-05-29T16:01:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=10609"},"modified":"2026-05-29T16:01:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:01:58","slug":"former-head-of-iowas-largest-school-district-to-be-sentenced-for-claiming-to-be-a-us-citizen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=10609","title":{"rendered":"Former head of Iowa\u2019s largest school district to be sentenced for claiming to be a US citizen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By HANNAH FINGERHUT<\/strong><\/p>\n

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) \u2014 The former superintendent of Iowa\u2019s largest school district is set to learn Friday how long he will be in prison for falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen and illegally possessing firearms. He would serve his sentence before he is likely deported.<\/p>\n

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Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, pleaded guilty in January to both counts, which together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. His lawyers are proposing that he be put on probation \u201cto facilitate his removal from the United States,\u201d but federal prosecutors are recommending he serve 37 months \u2014 just over three years \u2014 in prison, according to court documents.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors alleged Roberts knowingly lacked employment authorization for nearly all of his two-decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired as superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.<\/p>\n

From Roberts\u2019 Sep. 26 arrest to Friday\u2019s sentencing hearing, the stunning case has bookended the school year. Des Moines Public Schools said last month that it revised its conflict-of-interest policy after an audit found Roberts awarded district business to a consulting firm he worked for, affirming findings first reported by The Associated Press in the weeks after federal immigration officers detained him.<\/p>\n

Roberts was targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and pulled over in his school-issued Jeep Cherokee. He allegedly fled before he was located with the help of state troopers. Authorities said a loaded handgun was wrapped in a towel under the seat and $3,000 in cash was in the car. Three other weapons were recovered during a search of his home.<\/p>\n

In a court filing, attorneys for Roberts said he has dedicated his life in the U.S. to public service and has not been a threat to public safety. After Roberts married a U.S. citizen, his attorneys said, he was denied lawful permanent residency because he failed to disclose that he had been arrested. He said he did not think he needed to because the charges against him were dropped.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhile Dr. Roberts tried to adjust his status three more times, this initial mistake by Dr. Roberts sealed his fate,\u201d his attorneys wrote. \u201cIn the background of his career for the next 24 years, this denial of his adjustment of status haunted Dr. Roberts like a ghost, eventually derailing his life and career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Dozens of people submitted letters on Roberts\u2019 behalf to dispute how he has been portrayed and provide details of his positive impact. His lawyers note he likely faces deportation to Guyana, where he will \u201cbe left without his career, without his wife, without his children, in a country where he has not lived for thirty years,\u201d they wrote. \u201cWhile it is the correct outcome, it is also going to already be incredibly harsh on Dr. Roberts.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recommending a three-year sentence, prosecutors described a yearslong and deliberate misrepresentation of his legal status. They said they do not know what documents Roberts presented to show eligibility for work dating back to 2008, years before he was approved for temporary status in 2018, but he \u201cdeliberately obtained employment without work authorization at school after school, within state after state\u201d despite knowing he was not in the U.S. lawfully.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said a reduced sentence is not appropriate just because Roberts is likely to be deported.<\/p>\n

Roberts \u201ccultivated a public image grounded in integrity, leadership, and authenticity,\u201d prosecutors wrote. Yet, he \u201cengaged in conduct that undermined those values.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The former superintendent of Iowa\u2019s largest school district is set to learn how long he will be in prison after he was convicted of falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen and illegally possessing firearms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer head of Iowa\u2019s largest school district to be sentenced for claiming to be a US citizen - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=10609\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former head of Iowa\u2019s largest school district to be sentenced for claiming to be a US citizen - 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