To the shock of a whole school district, on September 26th 2025, Dr. Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of the Des Moines, was taken into custody by ICE. However, the most surprising part of his immigration case came later, with the reveal of extensive alleged criminal charges, and alleged fraudulent activities.
Roberts was born in Georgetown, Guyana. Throughout his early life he was heavily involved with academics, and athletics. He first entered the U.S. in 1994 using a visitor visa, which typically allows a stay of 180 days, and he played soccer at St. Francis College in Brooklyn. He then attended Coppin State Maryland, and received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in the field of Criminology. In 2000, he earned a Master’s degree from St. John’s University. Between then and 2007, he claimed to have recieved a second Master’s degree along with a doctorate, claims that have been under investigation.
As far as athletics, Roberts had a pretty impressive background. Roberts ran the 800 meter dash in a variety of Division 1 Conferences, and competed in many different international competitions, including the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Maebishi, Japan, Outdoor 1999 IAAF World Championships in Seville, Spain, and 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
From 2012-2023, Roberts took up a variety of leadership positions in schools, starting as a principal in Washington D.C., and working his way up to being the superintendent of a school in Erie County, Pennsylvania. He started his most recent position as the superintendent of the Des Moines Public School district in July of 2023.
Despite his impressive accolades, ICE took Roberts into custody due to him not renewing his visa, and failing to comply with an order of removal in 2024. His criminal record was revealed after his arrest which spans from 1996 to 2025. Alleged charges include criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of a forgery instrument, reckless driving, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and weapon charges, including illegal possession of a loaded firearm.
After his arrest, Roberts was given the opportunity to appear before the school board to explain his circumstance, however he did not. Roberts is currently in custody, with new details being released every day.
