The previous superintendent of Iowa’s largest faculty district pleaded responsible Thursday in federal court docket, admitting to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on a federal type and illegally possessing firearms.
Ian Roberts, a local of Guyana in South America, had initially pleaded not responsible to each counts, which collectively carry a most sentence of 20 years in jail, and a trial was scheduled to start in early March. Roberts affirmed Thursday that he is conscious his responsible pleas might have an effect on his immigration case and that he might face speedy deportation after he serves his sentence.
Roberts ascended as an exuberant and provoking chief over a two-decade profession in city training. For 2 years, he was superintendent of the Des Moines public faculty district, which serves 30,000 college students.
Simply weeks into a brand new faculty yr, Roberts was detained by federal immigration officers. The Sept. 26 arrest shocked group members and drew nationwide consideration to his historical past of felony costs and falsified credentials. He was positioned on depart by the varsity board the next day and resigned from the place on Sept. 30.
Jon Lemons / AP
On Thursday, Roberts walked into the courtroom together with his wrists and ft cuffed. He addressed U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Helen C. Adams cordially and easily as he acknowledged he understood his rights and the main points of his plea settlement, which he had in entrance of him. Roberts placed on eyeglasses to observe alongside.
“It’s my signature, your honor,” he mentioned of the signed settlement, and later confirmed it was “my resolution” to signal it.
As a part of Roberts’ plea settlement, prosecutors within the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of Iowa agreed to not pursue further costs towards Roberts or others associated to those counts, in accordance with the submitting. Prosecutors additionally agreed to suggest some leniency, however Roberts’ sentence is finally as much as U.S. District Choose Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger. That listening to is scheduled for Might 29. Roberts will stay in custody whereas he awaits sentencing.
Alfredo Parrish, certainly one of Roberts’ attorneys, instructed reporters after the listening to that Roberts “needed to just accept accountability and that is what he did,” although Parrish mentioned personally that the second was “not one of many happiest” in his lengthy authorized profession.
In a focused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, Roberts was pulled over in his school-issued Jeep Cherokee and allegedly fled from federal brokers. They later discovered the automotive deserted close to a wooded space and situated Roberts with the assistance of state troopers. Authorities mentioned a loaded handgun was wrapped in a towel underneath the seat and there was $3,000 in money within the automotive.
A federal grand jury in October returned a two-count indictment. In keeping with the plea settlement, Roberts admits he knowingly and deliberately made a “false attestation” that he was a U.S. citizen on the Employment Eligibility Verification type, often known as an I-9, that he submitted in Des Moines. Roberts answered: “Sure, your honor” when requested by the federal decide if that assertion on the I-9 was, in reality, false.
That carries a punishment of as much as 5 years in jail and a fantastic.
Roberts additionally confronted a federal weapons cost, punishable by as much as 15 years in jail and a fantastic. Along with the one in his car when he was arrested, a second pistol, a rifle and a shotgun have been discovered throughout a search of Roberts’ dwelling, authorities mentioned.
Roberts will forfeit the weapons, in accordance with the settlement.
Roberts accomplished the I-9 type when he was employed in 2023 and submitted a Social Safety card and driver’s license as verifying paperwork, in accordance with the district. He additionally acknowledged he was a U.S. citizen in his utility to the state board of academic examiners, which issued Roberts an expert administrator license in 2023.
Phil Roeder, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Faculties, declined to touch upon Roberts’ authorized proceedings. The district’s focus “stays on serving the academic wants of scholars,” he mentioned in a press release.
Faculty board president Jackie Norris mentioned on the time of Roberts’ arrest, “Nobody right here was conscious of any citizenship or immigration points that Dr. Roberts might have been going through. The accusations ICE had made towards Dr. Roberts are very critical, and we’re taking them very critically.”
In keeping with CBS Des Moines affiliate KCCI, Des Moines Public Faculties has filed a lawsuit towards the corporate it employed to carry out a background examine on Roberts when it was contemplating hiring him in 2023. The lawsuit alleges the Texas-based agency JG Consulting breached its contract by “failing to correctly vet Roberts and by referring Roberts as a candidate when he couldn’t lawfully maintain the place.”
Roberts was topic to a discover to look earlier than an immigration decide in October 2020, simply months earlier than his work authorization was set to run out, and a remaining elimination order in 2024, authorities mentioned. District officers mentioned they weren’t conscious of the immigration points.
Parrish has mentioned his consumer was underneath the impression from a previous lawyer that his immigration case was “resolved efficiently.” Throughout Thursday’s listening to, Parrish talked about that recommendation of prior counsel as one of many strains of protection he had mentioned with Roberts.
Parrish additionally mentioned they’d mentioned arguing to dismiss the firearms cost, citing ongoing court docket instances addressing Second Modification rights and telling reporters later that it is an space of the regulation “in flux.” Parrish mentioned in the course of the listening to that one argument in Roberts’ favor might have been possession of firearms for self-defense, saying Roberts had gotten threats as superintendent that he had reported to regulation enforcement.
Parrish instructed reporters Thursday that the sentencing listening to “shall be most necessary,” including that he’ll handle components which are more likely to impression the court docket’s resolution.
