DES MOINES, Iowa — As former Des Moines Public School Superintendent Ian Roberts, a Guyana-born immigrant, prepares for his federal sentencing this Friday, federal prosecutors have formally submitted a court memorandum calling for a 37-month, or three-year, prison term, the maximum within the recommended guideline range for his two convictions.
Roberts’ legal troubles began in September 2025, just a few weeks after the 2025-2026 academic year got underway, when federal immigration agents took him into custody. He later entered a guilty plea to two federal charges: making a false statement in connection with his employment, and unlawful possession of a firearm by an undocumented immigrant. As part of his plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop any additional potential charges and extend a measure of leniency in their sentencing recommendation, even as the two charges on the record carry a combined maximum statutory sentence of 20 years behind bars.
In the sentencing memorandum filed last week with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, prosecutors argued that the former top school administrator deserves a top-of-guideline 37-month sentence, rooted in the nature of his offenses: Roberts falsely claimed U.S. citizenship to secure his job, and was found to illegally possess four firearms.
U.S. sentencing guidelines set a recommended range of 30 to 37 months for Roberts, after accounting for two key factors: he has no prior felony criminal record, and he was found in possession of four illegal firearms rather than a smaller number. Prosecutors are pushing for the full 37-month term specifically because Roberts engaged in more than 15 years of unauthorized, deceptive employment in the district’s top leadership role.
Court documents confirm that after Roberts completes his prison sentence, he will be turned over to immigration authorities and deported from the United States.