Former Des Moines superintendent sentenced to two years in prison
A federal judge in Iowa sentenced former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent Ian Roberts to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as an illegal immigrant and making a false employment-related statement. Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger delivered the sentence months after his guilty plea, weighing both his difficult background in Guyana and his work as an education professional, but concluding he still needed prison time.
Prosecutors sought a longer term, while the defense asked for probation. Immigration authorities arrested Roberts in September while he worked for the district, citing that ICE says he falsely claimed U.S. citizenship before being hired in June 2023. Authorities found a loaded handgun, cash, and a hunting knife in his vehicle, and say he illegally owned four guns in total. After serving his sentence, Roberts is expected to be deported following a 2024 order to leave the country.Des Moines Public Schools said it respects the legal process and would not comment further.
A federal judge sentenced the former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent in Iowa, who was convicted on immigration and gun charges, to two years in prison on Friday.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger handed down the sentence months after Ian Roberts pleaded guilty to federal charges for possessing a firearm as an illegal immigrant and making a false statement for employment.
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The Obama-appointed judge considered Roberts’s poor upbringing in Guyana and the good deeds he had done as an educational professional, but she ultimately decided he needed to spend time in prison for his crimes.
The sentence was one year shorter than what U.S. Attorney David Waterman wanted, while the defense attorneys requested probation for their client.
In September, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Roberts while he worked at the Des Moines public school district. Before he was hired in June 2023, Roberts falsely claimed he was a U.S. citizen. ICE says he was never a U.S. citizen.
The Guyana native is expected to be deported after serving his two-year sentence. A Texas immigration judge ordered him to leave the country in 2024. A year later, he was detained.
ICE SAYS FORMER DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT PLEADED GUILTY IN CITIZENSHIP FRAUD CASE
At the time of his arrest, Roberts tried to flee ICE officers in his school district-issued vehicle. Federal authorities found a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife in the vehicle. He illegally owned four guns in total.
In response to the former superintendent’s sentencing, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools told the Des Moines Register that the district “respects the legal process and the court’s jurisdiction in the sentencing of the former superintendent, and will not comment further on this matter.”
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