A former school superintendent in Des Moines, Iowa, entered a guilty plea at a court hearing on Thursday, months after he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for staying in the country illegally.
Ian Roberts pleaded guilty to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship for employment and being an illegal immigrant in possession of firearms.
He had initially pleaded not guilty to both federal charges. In light of his plea change, a March trial will not be moving forward.
Roberts was the superintendent for Des Moines Public Schools for over two years before he was detained in September. He was then indicted by a federal grand jury in October. Around this time, he resigned from his post.
The defendant was charged with lying about his citizenship status on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Verification Form I-9 as part of his employment. The district’s school board said it was unaware of any immigration-related issues at the time of his hiring.
Roberts had not been authorized to work in the United States since December 2020, according to federal authorities.
He was also charged with owning four guns — two handguns, a rifle, and a shotgun — after ICE officers uncovered them while searching his home and vehicle last year.
Roberts could face a combined maximum sentence of 20 years on the two charges. His sentencing date is set for May 29.
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As part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors will not pursue any additional charges against Roberts in the case.
The agreement, however, states that Roberts may be deported after serving his sentence and that his guilty plea “may restrict” his ability to challenge removal from the U.S. Roberts hails from Guyana.