The story of Ian Andre Roberts in Iowa sounds like something ripped straight from a prestige TV drama. Honestly, if you told a Des Moines resident three years ago that the man leading their schools—a former Olympic runner who spoke about "radical empathy"—would eventually be chased through the brush by ICE agents, they’d have laughed. But reality is a lot weirder than fiction.
In late 2025, the Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) district was rocked to its core. Ian Andre Roberts, the high-profile superintendent who was the first Black person to hold that title in the district's history, was arrested during a dramatic federal operation. It wasn't just a simple paperwork mix-up. We’re talking about a guy found with a loaded Glock 19, a hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash after allegedly ditching his school-issued vehicle and trying to hide in the woods.
The Arrest That Shook Des Moines
It happened on a Friday morning, September 26, 2025. Federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) moved in to detain Roberts on a fugitive warrant. According to court filings, Roberts didn't exactly go quietly. When agents approached his vehicle, he identified himself and then supposedly floored it, leading to a brief pursuit.
He eventually abandoned the Jeep Cherokee—which belonged to the school district—and was found about 200 yards away, hunkered down in some thick brush.
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Why was he running? Well, it turns out Roberts had a final order of removal hanging over his head since May 2024. An immigration judge in Dallas had ordered him deported in absentia. While the school board and the public were focused on bond measures and student achievement, the man at the top was technically an ICE fugitive.
What Ian Andre Roberts Left Off His Resume
When Roberts was hired in March 2023, he seemed like a dream candidate. He was an Olympian who ran the 800 meters for Guyana in the 2000 Sydney Games. He had a career spanning two decades in education across New York, Maryland, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.
But as investigators started pulling the thread, the whole sweater unraveled.
For years, Roberts was referred to as "Dr. Roberts." He claimed a doctorate from Morgan State University. He even listed it on his resume. Here’s the kicker: Morgan State confirmed he attended from 2002 to 2007 but never actually finished the degree. He also claimed a second master’s from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. Georgetown says they have no record of him.
The lies weren't just about degrees. On his I-9 employment forms and his state license application, Roberts checked the box saying he was a U.S. citizen. He even provided a Social Security card and a driver’s license. In reality, he had entered the country on a visitor visa in 1994, then a student visa in 1999, and had been denied green card status at least four different times between 2001 and 2018.
A Rap Sheet Nobody Noticed
People often ask: how does a guy with a criminal record become a superintendent?
- 1996: Arrested in New York for criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell and possession of a forged instrument.
- 2012: Convicted of reckless driving in Maryland.
- 2020: Charged in New York with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a loaded firearm).
- 2022: Convicted in Pennsylvania for having a loaded hunting rifle in his vehicle.
The 2022 hunting rifle incident was the only one he actually admitted to the Des Moines school board. He brushed it off as a minor mistake after a hunting trip, and the board, apparently satisfied with his "context," moved forward with the hire.
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The 2026 Legal Fallout: Where Things Stand Now
As of early 2026, the dust is still settling, but the legal hammer is coming down hard. Ian Andre Roberts is currently in federal custody, awaiting a trial set for March 2, 2026. He’s facing two heavy federal charges:
- Possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.
- Falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
But the drama doesn't stop with Roberts himself. The Des Moines Public School Board is currently suing JG Consulting, the search firm they paid to find him. The district’s argument is pretty simple: "We paid you to vet this guy, and you missed the fact that he was an undocumented immigrant with a deportation order and a fake doctorate."
The search firm, however, has pushed back, claiming the district was aware of certain "discrepancies" from the start. It’s a messy, expensive finger-pointing match that's costing taxpayers even more money on top of the $270,000 salary Roberts was pulling.
Why the Ian Andre Roberts Story Matters Beyond Iowa
This isn't just a local scandal; it’s become a national talking point about election integrity and background check loopholes.
In late 2025, it was discovered that Roberts was a registered voter in Maryland. This sparked a massive congressional inquiry led by the House Administration Committee. They’ve been grilling Maryland election officials about how someone without citizenship could end up on the voter rolls.
Basically, this one man’s life has become a case study for every flaw in the American administrative system—from how we hire public officials to how we verify who is voting.
Insights for School Districts and Employers
If there’s any lesson to be learned from the Ian Andre Roberts saga, it’s that "comprehensive" background checks are often anything but. Here is what organizations are now doing differently to avoid this kind of "deception":
- Primary Source Verification: Never trust a copy of a diploma or a line on a resume. Districts are now calling registrars directly for every single degree mentioned.
- I-9 Audits: Relying on a third-party search firm isn't enough. Internal HR departments are being forced to double-verify work authorization through E-Verify more rigorously.
- Cross-Jurisdictional Background Checks: Roberts moved between many states. Some of his charges were in New York, some in Maryland, others in Pennsylvania. Standard background checks sometimes miss "inchoate" or dismissed charges that still signal a pattern of behavior.
- Social Media and Public Record Scrubbing: A simple deep-dive into Roberts’ Olympic history and past interviews showed he was giving different birth years and "hometown" stories to different reporters for years.
The Des Moines community is trying to move on. They’ve got a new interim leader and are trying to refocus on the 30,000 students who were caught in the middle of this whirlwind. But the trial in March 2026 will likely reopen all these wounds.
Next Steps for Concerned Parents or Administrators:
- Review District Vetting Policies: If you are in school administration, audit your third-party background check contracts to see if they specifically include education verification and I-9 compliance.
- Follow the Trial: Keep an eye on the federal court proceedings in March 2026 for updates on the firearm and citizenship charges.
- Check Local Board Transparency: Advocate for public disclosure of the vetting process used for high-level public officials in your own municipality.