Ian Andre Roberts, Federal Firearm & False Statement Charges, Iowa 2025
DES MOINES, Iowa – Former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Andre Roberts has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for federal firearm and false statement charges. Roberts, a 54-year-old Guyanese citizen, was found guilty of lying about his citizenship on employment paperwork and possessing firearms while being an illegal alien.
According to public court documents, Roberts falsely stated that he was a United States citizen on employment paperwork related to his position at the Des Moines Public Schools in June 2023. Roberts was not and has never been a United States citizen, and was only authorized to work in the United States for an 18-month period between July 2018 and February 2020.
On September 26, 2025, Roberts knowingly possessed a loaded Glock pistol in his vehicle while being unlawfully present in the United States. He also possessed three additional firearms at his residence, including a loaded pistol, a loaded rifle, and a shotgun. Law enforcement also found a copy of the May 2025 order directing his removal from the United States to Guyana hidden underneath a floor mat in his vehicle.
After completing his prison sentence, Roberts will serve a three-year term of supervised release, which will be non-reporting if he is removed from the United States. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Today’s sentence holds Ian Andre Roberts accountable for his criminal conduct and repeated violations of federal law,” said United States Attorney David C. Waterman. “By his own admission, Roberts falsely represented himself as a United States citizen in order to obtain positions of public trust and unlawfully possessed multiple firearms. That conduct undermined the integrity of our public institutions and the legal requirements designed to protect the public.”
Roberts' sentence reinforces the principle that federal law applies equally to all who violate it. He will be required to serve a two-year prison term followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Our office remains committed to enforcing the law fairly, impartially, and without fear or favor.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Defendant Name: Ian Andre Roberts
Exact Criminal Charges: False statement for employment and illegal alien in possession of firearms
City and State: Des Moines, Iowa
Exact Date: September 26, 2025 (sentencing)
Sentence or Outcome: 2 years in federal prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release
Defendant Full Name: Ian Andre Roberts
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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