Iowa Superintendent Charged With Possessing Guns While in the US Illegally

The superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, recently arrested for allegedly being an illegal immigrant, has been charged with illegal possession of firearms.

Ian Andre Roberts, who has since been fired by Des Moines Public Schools, fled from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on the morning of Sept. 26, according to charging documents. He later abandoned his Jeep Cherokee.

Roberts was located in the brush nearby and taken into custody.

ICE officers searching the Jeep located a gun, wrapped in a towel, under the driver’s seat of the vehicle, a federal agent said in an affidavit supporting the charge against Roberts that was made public on Oct. 1.

The gun, a Glock nine-millimeter pistol, was loaded.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives traced the gun to a woman believed to be the spouse of Roberts. She bought the gun on Oct. 4, 2019, in Arkansas.

A search of Roberts’ home revealed three additional firearms, including a Remington .270 caliber rifle in a case in the closet in the master bedroom, according to the charging documents.

Declaration tags issued by Southwest Airlines and found at the residence stated that two of the guns belonged to Ian Roberts, authorities said.

There was no sign that the home was occupied by any person other than Roberts.

An examination by a federal expert showed all four guns were manufactured outside of Iowa.

Federal law prohibits illegal immigrants from possessing guns.

Weapon possession charges had been filed against Roberts previously in 2020, according to ICE. He was ordered to leave the country in 2024 by an immigration judge.

Officials say Roberts initially entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa. On four occasions, he filed applications for legal permanent residence, but ICE rejected all of the applications. Roberts separately tried to gain legal status based on marriage to a U.S. citizen, but he was denied, officials said, because he did not respond to a request for additional information.

Roberts was not allowed to legally work in the United States starting on Dec. 16, 2020.

He was arrested on the firearm charges on Oct. 2 in Sioux City and made an initial appearance in court later that day.

Alfredo Parrish, one of the lawyers representing Roberts, told the Associated Press that Roberts will plead not guilty.

“Our position at this time—he has a presumption of innocence,” Parrish said. “He will exercise his right to indicate to the court, if he is indicted, that he’s not guilty.”