A sentence of probation is appropriate rather than prison time for former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts, given his “unique circumstances,” according to a sentencing brief filed by his defense team.
In the brief, filed May 22 and unsealed Wednesday, Roberts’ defense, led by attorney Alfredo Parrish, said it did not contest U.S. Attorney David Waterman’s recommendation of a prison sentence of 30 to 37 months, based on federal sentencing guidelines, for Roberts’ conviction on immigration and gun possession charges. But it asked the judge in Roberts’ Friday sentencing to step outside those guidelines, arguing that with time he already has served since his September arrest and the period he will spend awaiting likely deportation to his native Guyana, additional time behind bars is not warranted.
It also pointed to what it said was the nonviolent nature of the offenses Roberts pleaded guilty to in January ― falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen to land the superintendent job in 2023 and unlawful possession of four firearms while in the country illegally. And it cited what it said is the public good he did in Des Moines and other school districts where he worked during his years in the United States.
“He is not violent and will receive the ultimate punishment of banishment from the United States,” the brief said “Looking at all his foibles, failures and successes while living in a country he came to love, his successes outweigh his failures.”
1996 arrest ‘haunted Dr. Roberts like a ghost,’ defense brief says
To bolster its arguments, the 173-page brief provided a lengthy biography of Roberts, saying he was “born into poverty in one of the world’s poorest nations” without “a snowball’s chance in hell of succeeding, yet he made an enormous impact in each community he worked.”
It said that though abandoned by his father and having to work as a child to support his family, he was a top student and ascended the ranks in government jobs, ultimately becoming a police officer.
He came to the United States in 1994 on a tourist visa “seeking safety from his undercover drug work and seeking a better opportunity than what existed in Guyana,” the brief said.
“Guyana advised him to leave the country due to threats against the agents involved in the drug investigation,” it said, adding that after two detectives were killed, “the commissioner asked Dr. Roberts to extend his stay in the United States.”
Roberts’ gun possession, it said, is attributable to his ongoing need for self-defense.
Enrolling as a college student ― Roberts attended Coppin State University in Baltimore and was a member of the school’s track team ― he demonstrated his determination by excelling both academically and athletically, the brief said, then obtained a student visa after graduating in 1999 to continue studies that led to his doctorate in education.
It said he filed to become a legal permanent resident after his marriage to an American woman. But his application was denied because of his failure to disclose a 1996 arrest in New York City during a wide “sweep” operation. The brief said Roberts thought he did not need to disclose the arrest because the charges were dismissed after an alleged accomplice admitted his guilt
Roberts’ defense team argued that Roberts’ lack of adequate legal representation to help him navigate the case and obtain residency “sealed his fate” and that the resulting denial of permanent residency “haunted Dr. Roberts like a ghost, eventually derailing his life and career.”
He continued to file requests to become a lawful resident over the years as he achieved success in his career, married another American woman after a divorce and reached a pinnacle as Des Moines superintendent in 2003. But “Dr. Roberts made a fatal mistake when he completed an I-9 to work with Des Moines Public Schools… falsely affirming he was a United States citizen,” the brief said.
After he failed to appear before an immigration judge as ordered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “the immigration services ordered Dr. Roberts removed in absentia in 2024, just as Dr…. Roberts was celebrating his first year on the job with Des Moines Public Schools.”
He filed to reopen the case because he had not received the notice, the brief said, but “it was only a matter of time before the Immigration Court would deny that motion,” adding, “The ghost haunting Dr. Roberts slammed the door shut with no escape”
Even without prison sentence, Ian Roberts faces more detention, brief says
Arrested in September 2025 without resistance after initially trying to flee U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Roberts was subjected to “media demonization,” the brief said. It cited a DHS news release that called him “a criminal illegal alien with multiple weapons charges and a drug trafficking charge,” who “should have never been able to work around children” ― words echoed in statements by Iowa U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson, who is running for election as a U.S. senator, and Randy Feenstra, who is seeking the governorship.
It quoted from numerous letters and statements by supporters, who emphasized Roberts’ impact as Des Moines’ first Black superintendent, saying “he is not and never has been a threat to the children he has dedicated his life to helping.”
Roberts, it said, has continued to act as an educator during his more than eight months of incarceration, tutoring and mentoring other inmates in the Polk County Jail, writing articles and recently publishing a book, “Unshakable: How Bold Leaders Win Hearts, Inspire Minds, and Obtain Results During Crisis.”
The brief says Roberts nevertheless will not receive time-served credit for his jailing because of the final order for removal. The recommended 30- to 37-month sentence, because of the lack of earned credits for his jail time, would be “greater than necessary,” it says, and probation would be “sufficient” when his contributions to Des Moines Public Schools, attempts to naturalize and the nature of his offenses are taken into consideration.
He also faces additional jail time while awaiting infrequently scheduled deportation flights to Guyana, it said, noting there has been about one per year.
“Dr. Roberts will likely be in immigration detention for six months or longer given the frequency of deportation flights to Guyana,” the brief said. “This is not based on any difficulty with travel documents, but simply because Guyana does not have many immigrants to the United States, and thus, there are fewer deportation flights.
“While it is the correct outcome, it is also going to already be incredibly harsh on Dr. Roberts,” it said, adding that “a sentence of probation for Dr. Roberts will however reflect the seriousness of his offense, promote respect for the law, and provide just punishment. A sentence of probation will also deter Dr. Roberts from committing any sort of crime again. A sentence of probation would also ensure that Dr. Roberts has changed his ways and would be the best way to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant.”
Des Moines Register investigations since Roberts’ arrest found he has engaged in a pattern of untruths across the years, especially when it came to claims about his achievements. The Register also recently reported an accusation by the a man who said he found Roberts in the bed of his now ex-wife, and was threatened by Roberts with a gun.
U.S. Attorney David Waterman, in his sentencing recommendation, said Roberts “betrayed the public’s trust” and should receive the maximum sentence allowed.
Roberts, the defense brief said, acknowledges his wrongdoing, quoting him as saying, “I knew what was right. I even wanted what was right. And still I chose otherwise. That is the part I cannot explain or excuse.”
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ian Roberts’ attorneys make case for probation in lengthy court filing
Reporting by Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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