From The Hill newspaper,
Des Moines school district sues firm that conducted superintendent search.
The depositions conducted in this case will be epic. They should sell tickets.
Des Moines Public Schools is suing the firm that conducted the search for former Superintendent Ian Roberts, who was recently arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and resigned from his position.
JG Consulting was hired to facilitate the search for the district’s leader in 2023, which included conducting background checks.
There was certainly a lot of background to uncover. The feds managed to dig up all the dirt on Roberts.
Today, ICE put out its own press release with these details,
His criminal record includes the following:
July 3, 1996: Charges for criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a forgery instrument and possession of a forged instrument in New York.
Nov. 13, 1998: A charge for third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle in Queens, New York, which was dismissed July 6, 1999.
Nov. 1, 2012: A conviction for reckless driving, unsafe operation and speeding in Maryland.
Feb. 3, 2020: Charges for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (having a loaded firearm outside his home or business); third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (an ammunition feeding device); and fourth-degree weapon charges. A document from Feb. 4, 2020, indicates that the second-degree criminal possession charge was inchoate.
Jan. 20, 2022: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania convicted Roberts of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm.
Sept. 26, 2025: Roberts was arrested with a Glock 9mm pistol and a fixed-blade hunting knife in his possession. He also had $3,000 in cash.
Oct. 2, 2025: Roberts was criminally charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
And Roberts’ immigration history, according to ICE,
- June 1, 1994: Roberts entered the United States at John F. Kennedy International Airport on a B-2 nonimmigrant visa.
- He was classified as a visitor for pleasure. He departed the U.S. on an unknown date but returned before his 1996 arrest for narcotics possession.
- March 8, 1999: He entered the U.S. through California’s San Francisco International Airport as an F-1 student visa holder.
- The visa was set to expire on March 7, 2004. He departed the U.S. on an unknown date.
- June 28, 1999: Roberts reentered the U.S. through San Francisco on the same F-1 student visa.
- He departed the U.S. on an unknown date.
- Aug. 30, 1999: He again reentered the U.S. at JFK International Airport on the same student visa.
- Feb. 9, 2000: Roberts filed an application for employment authorization, which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved April 5, 2000, with an expiration date of April 1, 2001.
- Sept. 4, 2000: He left the U.S. from JFK International Airport.
- Sept. 30, 2000: Roberts entered the U.S. again at JFK International Airport on the same F-1 student visa.
- May 21, 2001: He filed a Green Card application with USCIS, which the agency rejected on Jan. 3, 2003.
- May 15, 2018: Roberts filed another Green card Application with USCIS, which the agency again rejected on May 30 that year.
- June 4, 2018: Roberts filed another green card application, which USCIS rejected for the third time June 20 that year.
- July 15, 2018: He filed for employment authorization documents, which USCIS granted on Dec. 18 that year, giving the documents an expiration date of Dec. 18, 2019.
- July 16, 2018: Roberts filed, for the fourth time, a green card application. USCIS denied it Jan. 24, 2020.
- Nov. 18, 2019: He filed another application for employment authorization documents, which USCIS approved Dec. 3 of that year and issued an expiration date of Dec. 18, 2020.
- Feb. 11, 2020: Roberts updated his address with USCIS.
- Oct. 2, 2020: USCIS issued him a notice to appear before an immigration judge.
- May 22, 2024: An immigration judge in Dallas, Texas, ordered Roberts removed in absentia.
- April 24, 2025: An immigration judge in Dallas denied Roberts’ motion to reopen his case.
- Sept. 26, 2025: ICE officials arrested Roberts in Des Moines, Iowa.
Busy.
