Former Des Moines superintendent’s guilty plea accepted

Ian Roberts, who was apprehended by ICE on Sept. 26, pleaded guilty to two federal charges.

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February 17, 2026

A federal judge has officially accepted former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts’s guilty plea to two federal charges.

Roberts pleaded guilty to being “an illegal alien in possession of a firearm” and making a false statement for employment on Jan. 22, during a court appearance. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE approached Roberts, who attempted to flee and abandoned his vehicle. They claim Roberts possessed $3,000 in cash, a loaded gun and a knife, which were all found inside his car.

The plea agreement states that the guilty plea could restrict Roberts’ ability to object to any deportation proceedings from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It goes on to say that he could be immediately deported from the U.S. after concluding his sentence.

Former DMPS superintendent to plead guilty in immigration case

Author

Gretchen Lembcke Pena

Gretchen Lembcke Peña is a multimedia bilingual journalist originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She holds a B.A in Multimedia Journalism from Lynn University and recently earned her M.A in Bilingual Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Her reporting centers on community and cross-cultural storytelling with a focus on representation. Gretchen has long been passionate about writing surrounding social issues, arts, culture, and entertainment, which led her to pursue journalism. Outside the newsroom, she spends her time tackling her reading goal for the week.