Overview
- Ian Roberts was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on Friday, May 29, 2026, after pleading guilty in January to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship for employment and to unlawful firearm possession while in the country illegally.
- U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger rejected a request for probation, called Roberts’ lies a breach of an “incredible position of trust,” and imposed a term below the guidelines while crediting roughly eight months already served.
- Federal prosecutors had sought about 37 months in prison, arguing Roberts knowingly worked without authorization for years and used a counterfeit Social Security card in his hiring, while the defense urged probation to speed his removal from the United States.
- After he serves the federal sentence, Roberts is expected to be turned over to immigration authorities and deported to Guyana, a process his lawyer warned could be delayed because deportation flights to Guyana are infrequent.
- The case has prompted dozens of character letters for Roberts and triggered Des Moines Public Schools to review and tighten hiring and conflict-of-interest checks to address how work authorization and contracting were vetted.