Richard D. Westphal, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa
Richard D. Westphal, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa
The former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Ian Andre Roberts, appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Iowa on Wednesday. Roberts, who is a citizen of Guyana, faces a federal charge for being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
According to the criminal complaint, Roberts, age 54, allegedly possessed four firearms on September 26, 2025. Authorities state that he was unlawfully present in the United States at the time. Roberts is currently being held in federal custody as legal proceedings continue.
A spokesperson emphasized that "a criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
A copy of the criminal complaint can be found at Ian Andre Roberts Criminal Complaint - 4:25-mj-630.
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