Former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts is set to plead guilty to a pair of federal charges following his September 2025 arrest by ICE.

The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, whose arrest by federal immigration agents drew national attention, is expected to plead guilty Thursday in federal court to charges that he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and illegally possessed firearms. Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, initially pleaded not guilty to the two charges, which together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Roberts is expected to plead guilty to both charges, according to a plea agreement signed by Roberts and released Wednesday.