Ian Roberts, a well-respected Black Iowa superintendent made national news last year after he was arrested by ICE for violating a deportation order. Now, he’s pled guilty to two federal counts as more questions swarm about the double life he allegedly lived for decades.
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We previously told you Roberts, who is originally from Guyana, was detained back in September after being ordered to leave the country during the Biden administration. During his arrest, police found a pistol which was “wrapped in a towel under the driver’s seat,” according to the federal complaint against him. This, coupled with at least three other weapons found in his home, led to federal gun charges, according to ABC News.
Roberts reportedly resigned from his role as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) after he was arrested. This even sparked major protests at the federal building in Des Moines, KCCI reported.
Roberts pled not guilty to falsely claiming to be a US citizen on a federal form and illegally possessing firearms, according to CNN. But on Thursday (Jan. 22), the former superintendent changed his plea to guilty. When combined, both counts carry a maximum 20-year sentence.
“It is my signature, your honor,” he reportedly said of the plea agreement, adding it was “my decision.”
Roberts came to the states in the ’90s on a student visa that expired in 2004. Eventually, he landed in a career all about education. According to his bio, Roberts completed programs at Morgan State University (MSU), Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business and MIT’s Sloan School of Management, but a spokesperson for MIT told The New York Post they have no record of his attendance.
As far as his other alleged degrees, an official at MSU told the Des Moines Register Roberts never obtained a degree from their school either. Despite questions now swarming over his background, Roberts spent the last 20 years teaching at several schools around the country, including in St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and New York City. Since his arrest, former colleagues of Roberts have spoken out against him.
“He ruined our district [in Erie, Pa.] for three years,” one anonymous colleague told The Post. “He was very smooth, affable, but the overarching feeling you got from him was smoke and mirrors, mystique.” Other folks called Roberts a “sketchy figure and pathological liar,” the publication reported. They alleged Roberts was hired to complete a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mandate, although this has not been confirmed.
If that wasn’t enough, rumors that Roberts had an inappropriate relationship with a fellow colleague are resurfacing, which many claim is the reason for his resignation, according to The Post.
Roberts eventually moved to Iowa, becoming the superintendent of Des Moines Public School District, the largest district in the state, in 2023. The school board was reportedly unaware of Roberts’ immigration status when he was hired, according to DMPS.
Reports allege Roberts has not been eligible to work since 2020. And one source said they even expressed concerns that he wasn’t a legal resident, but the complaint fell on deaf ears.
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