Guyana-born former head of Iowa school district sentenced to 2 years for falsely claiming to be US citizen

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, who was arrested last year in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison.

Attorneys for Ian Roberts said they expect he will likely be deported to his native Guyana in South America once he serves the sentence. 

He pleaded guilty in January to falsely claiming to be a US citizen and illegally possessing firearms.

Prosecutors alleged Roberts knowingly lacked employment authorisation for nearly all of his two-decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired to lead the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.

His September arrest outraged and stunned the Des Moines community as President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign was escalating in cities across the country. 

Roberts was subject to a final removal order issued in 2024.

Roberts, who appeared in the courtroom Friday with his wrists and feet cuffed, spoke to US District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger for nearly a half hour. 

He pleaded for leniency as he acknowledged that his dedication to teaching thousands of children and his achievements did not “excuse my poor choice, my ethical lapse,” and he said he knew he had disappointed many people, including children.

Roberts wiped away tears as he described a letter he received from a Des Moines second grader.

“I regret what I’ve done every single day,” Roberts said.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.