(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- The arrest of the superintendent of Iowa's largest school district by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has become a high-profile case, involving a long-time school administrator who authorities say is not authorized to work in the U.S. and whose background has come under scrutiny.
Ian Roberts, 54, was the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools for over two years before his resignation on Sept. 30 days after his arrest. He had previously held leadership positions in school districts across the U.S. for two decades.
In the days since he was taken into custody, Roberts has also been federally charged for alleged firearms offenses, and lawsuits and state investigations are being pursued over his hiring.
Here's a look at how the saga has unfolded, including some of Roberts' past employment, criminal history and immigration proceedings.
June 1, 1994
Roberts enters the U.S. in New York City on a B-2 non-immigrant visa, according to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security detailing his immigration and criminal history.
July 3, 1996
Roberts is charged in New York with narcotics possession and intent to sell narcotics, among other counts, according to DHS, which did not note what came of the case.
1998
The criminology major graduates from Coppin State University in Baltimore, according to the school.
Nov. 13, 1998
Roberts is charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle in New York City, which was dismissed the following year, according to DHS.
March 1999
Roberts enters the U.S. in San Francisco on an F-1 student visa, which is set to expire on March 7, 2004, according to DHS.
Feb. 9, 2000
Roberts files an application with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for employment authorization, which is approved in April and set to expire on April 1, 2001, according to DHS.
June 2000
Roberts earns a master's degree in social studies from St. John’s University, according to The Associated Press.
September 2000
Roberts competes in the 800 meters in the Sydney Olympics, representing Guyana, according to the Olympics website and the website for World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field. He does not advance out of a preliminary heat.
May 21, 2001
Roberts files a green card application with USCIS, which is rejected in January 2003, according to DHS, which did not state the reason why.
2002-2007
Roberts pursues a doctorate at Morgan State University in Baltimore, the AP reported. He did not ultimately earn a degree from the school, though while applying for the Des Moines superintendent position, he submitted a resume that indicated he had, according to Des Moines Public Schools. The discrepancy was flagged during a background check and his resume was updated to note that he did not complete the dissertation required to earn the degree, according to the school district.
Nov. 1, 2012
Roberts is convicted of reckless driving, unsafe operation and speeding in Maryland, according to DHS. At the time, he had positions with New Leaders for New Schools in Baltimore and the District of Columbia Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn profile.
2018
Roberts files green card applications again with USCIS in May and June, which are both denied later that year, according to DHS, which did not state why.
In July, he applies for an adjustment of status based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, but it is later denied in January 2020 because he "failed to respond to a request for additional information," according to a federal criminal complaint.
At the time of these applications, he's a middle/high school superintendent for St. Louis Public Schools and then a chief schools officer at Aspire Public Schools in California, according to his LinkedIn profile.
July 15, 2018
Roberts files for employment authorization documents, which USCIS grants later that year, according to DHS.
Nov. 18, 2019
Before the authorization is set to expire, Roberts files again for employment authorization documents, which USCIS grants several weeks later, according to DHS.
Feb. 3, 2020
Roberts faces multiple weapons charges, including criminal possession of a weapon, according to DHS, which did not note the location of the filing or what came of the case. He is between jobs at this time, according to his LinkedIn profile.
August 2020
Roberts begins serving as superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District in Erie, Pennsylvania, a position he holds for nearly three years.
Dec. 18, 2020
Roberts' lawful employment authorization expires, according to DHS.
Jan. 20, 2022
Roberts is convicted in Pennsylvania of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, according to DHS. Roberts pleaded guilty to the charge, saying in a statement that he did so to "avoid the unnecessary time away from my responsibilities" as superintendent. He says he was returning to his car after hunting and placed his loaded rifle in the vehicle after being stopped by a state game warden.
July 2023
Roberts begins serving as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools.
August 2023
Roberts is served with a restraining order, according to the sheriff's department in Polk County, Iowa, which served notice of the order to Roberts at his office.
The records are sealed, so the reason for the restraining order -- which was issued by a court in Jackson County, Missouri -- and the identity of the person requesting it are not public.
May 22, 2024
An immigration judge in Dallas orders that Roberts be removed from the U.S. during a hearing he did not attend, according to DHS.
April 24, 2025
An immigration judge in Dallas denies Roberts his motion to reopen immigration proceedings, finding that Roberts failed to demonstrate, as claimed in the motion, that he did not receive notice of the 2024 hearing, according to court filings.
Sept. 26, 2025
ICE agents arrest Roberts in Des Moines during a "targeted enforcement operation." He allegedly sped away after officers approached his vehicle, and was later found after abandoning his vehicle near a wooded area, according to ICE.
A loaded handgun is found in his district-issued vehicle "wrapped in a towel under the driver's seat," according to the federal criminal complaint. It was purchased in Arkansas in 2019 from a federally licensed dealer by someone who is believed to be Roberts' spouse, according to the complaint.
During a search of his home, law enforcement find three more firearms, according to the complaint.
Sept. 29, 2025
The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revokes Roberts' administrator license. The Des Moines School Board then votes unanimously to put him on unpaid administrative leave and to provide proof that he is authorized to work in the U.S. or face termination.
Roberts' attorney files a motion in immigration court in Omaha, Nebraska, to stay the educator's order of removal, according to the attorney, Alfredo Parrish.
Sept. 30, 2025
Roberts submits his resignation as superintendent, which the Des Moines School Board accepts. He did not provide the board with the requested information, according to the school board.
Parrish says his office will be filing a motion to reopen Roberts' immigration case.
"This is a very complex case," Parrish says during a press briefing. "It's complex, it's difficult and there are ... what I would call a myriad of issues that are involved."
A "state-level investigation" into Roberts' hiring is underway, according to Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn, who says in a statement, "Local leaders owe parents an explanation, and we need stronger safeguards to ensure that positions of public trust are filled by individuals who are properly vetted and legally authorized to serve."
Elsewhere, state elections officials in Maryland address the finding that a man whose name, birthdate and address matches Roberts registered as a Democrat in 2017, according to the Maryland voter registration database. There's no record of him casting a ballot, officials said.
The elections board of Maryland did not confirm that the registered voter is in fact Roberts. It noted in a statement that individuals are prohibited from securing voter registration unlawfully but outlined a scenario in which an ineligible voter could be "unintentionally registered to vote" via an automatic voter registration agency, such as the state's Motor Vehicle Agency.
Although it's unclear if Roberts was registered to vote, Republican members of the Maryland House of Delegates have since pressed the elections board on how someone ineligible to vote could be "unintentionally" registered.
Oct. 2, 2025
Roberts is arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in Iowa with one count of being an "illegal alien in possession of firearms," according to court records, after authorities say firearms were found in his vehicle and home.
The Millcreek Township School District announces it has asked its attorneys to determine whether the district has any possible legal claims against Roberts and the search firm hired to conduct background checks on him, alleging he misrepresented his credentials and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen prior to his hiring in 2020.
“The egregious breach of trust that was perpetrated by Roberts, who we hired to lead our schools, is unconscionable,” the district's school board said in a statement.
Oct. 3, 2025
The Des Moines School Board files a lawsuit against the consulting firm it says it hired in 2023 to conduct a search for a new superintendent, claiming the firm failed to "properly vet candidates" and that it never would have hired Roberts "if we knew what we know now."
The Texas-based executive search firm, JG Consulting, maintains that Roberts "provided the documents necessary to show that he was eligible for the position in Des Moines."
"That the district has now decided to litigate about their choice of candidate at this time, when they have had all relevant information since the beginning, is unfortunate and unwarranted," the firm's attorney, Josh Romero, says in a statement. "We will answer any claims brought by the district in court."
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.