{"id":2608356,"date":"2026-05-29T16:51:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T20:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-des-moines-superintendent-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T16:51:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T20:51:55","slug":"former-des-moines-superintendent-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-des-moines-superintendent-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Des Moines superintendent sentenced to two years in prison"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-des-moines-superintendent-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2608356&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A federal judge in Iowa sentenced former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent Ian Roberts to two years in prison after he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-to-pardon-gen-michael-flynn-per-report\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump to Pardon Gen. Michael Flynn, Per Report\">pleaded guilty<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>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.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-uaw-union-president-sentenced-on-corruption-charges\/\" title=\"Former UAW union president ...d on corruption charges\">federal judge sentenced<\/a> the former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iowa\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"468\">Iowa<\/a>, who was convicted on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/immigration\/\" type=\"category\" id=\"15\">immigration<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/guns-and-firearms\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"780\">gun<\/a> charges, to two years in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/prison\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"786\">prison<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4587681\/indictment-shooting-secret-service-washington-monument\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Texas man indicted for shooting at Secret Service agent near Washington Monument<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4587438\/doj-boebert-washington-nationals-discriminate-christian\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DOJ reviewing Boebert concerns about Washington Nationals discriminating against Christian pitcher<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4586925\/biden-hur-tapes-chutkan-jan-6\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Biden\u2019s lawsuit to block Hur tapes assigned to judge who oversaw Trump\u2019s Jan. 6 case<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Obama-appointed judge considered Roberts\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sentence was one year shorter than what U.S. Attorney David Waterman wanted, while the defense attorneys requested probation for their client.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In September, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ice\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ice\/\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Guyana native is expected to be deported after serving his two-year sentence. A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"253\">Texas<\/a> immigration judge ordered him to leave the country in 2024. A year later, he was detained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4445817\/ice-says-former-des-moines-superintendent-pleaded-guilty-citizenship-fraud-case\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4445817\/ice-says-former-des-moines-superintendent-pleaded-guilty-citizenship-fraud-case\/\">ICE SAYS FORMER DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT PLEADED GUILTY IN CITIZENSHIP FRAUD CASE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time of his arrest, Roberts tried to flee ICE officers in his <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >school district-issued vehicle<\/a>. Federal authorities found a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife in the vehicle. He illegally owned four guns in total.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the former superintendent\u2019s sentencing, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.desmoinesregister.com\/story\/news\/crime-and-courts\/2026\/05\/29\/ian-roberts-sentencing-des-moines-superintendent-dmps\/90263524007\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.desmoinesregister.com\/story\/news\/crime-and-courts\/2026\/05\/29\/ian-roberts-sentencing-des-moines-superintendent-dmps\/90263524007\/\">told<\/a> the <em>Des Moines Register<\/em> that the district \u201crespects the legal process and the court\u2019s jurisdiction in the sentencing of the former superintendent, and will not comment further on this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Federal judge sentenced Ian Roberts to two years for gun and immigration charges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2608357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26118583325692.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[66656,5152,5626],"class_list":["post-2608356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-des-moines","tag-education","tag-iowa"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26118583325692.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2608356"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2608360,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608356\/revisions\/2608360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2608357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2608356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2608356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2608356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}