Former Des Moines schools principal Ian Roberts will reach a plea deal in his federal criminal case, new court documents show.
Roberts, who was hired to lead the district in 2023, submitted his resignation on Sept. 30, days after he was arrested for allegedly trying to flee from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Federal officials have since said Roberts, a Guyanese native, is not a U.S. citizen and does not have the legal authority to work in the United States. These are among several other apparent misrepresentations and exaggerations about his background and qualifications.
In addition to awaiting a deportation order, Roberts was indicted on Oct. 16 on two counts each of possession of a firearm as an illegal alien and false employment representation. Prosecutors allege Roberts illegally possessed four guns, including a loaded handgun, that he left in his district-owned vehicle after fleeing ICE, and falsely certified that he was a U.S. citizen when filling out an I-9 employment authorization for a job in Des Moines.
Roberts has denied wrongdoing, and defense attorney Alfredo Parrish said Roberts plans to file a pretrial motion challenging the validity of the underlying immigration order. However, the court-imposed deadline for such motions expired on January 12, and on Thursday, January 15, the court entered an order setting a change of plea hearing on January 22. His trial is currently scheduled to begin on March 2.
Previous court filings showed the two sides were discussing a possible deal, but it was unclear from the order what the terms of that deal were or what charges Robert planned to bring. Parrish did not respond to a request for comment.
Regardless of its terms, the plea would cap Roberts’ fall from grace as a once-respected educator. His arrest and subsequent charges sparked investigations and recriminations, including the district’s lawsuit against a search firm that allegedly failed to review Roberts’ qualifications and a re-audit of the district by Iowa State Auditor Rob Sund.
Roberts’ latest LinkedIn post contains no mention of plea
Roberts has been in custody since his arrest and is currently in the Polk County Jail, but his LinkedIn account remains active, posting several articles purportedly written by him and describing his time in jail in a tone reminiscent of that of many business-minded influencers on the platform.
A recent article, “published and written by Dr. Ian Roberts on Wednesday,” discusses combating unfair negative stereotypes and first impressions of others, and claims that, as Roberts has previously said, he has provided guidance and support to other prisoners over the past few months.
The post made no mention of his charges or impending plea deal.
(This story has been edited to add new information.)
William Morris covers the courts for The Des Moines Register. You can contact him at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: Former DMPS Director Ian Roberts accepts plea deal
