Dr. Ian Roberts, a former Olympian and current Des Moines Public Schools superintendent, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday, Sept. 26, the agency said in a statement.

The former Olympian and public school administrator was arrested and detained for allegedly residing in the U.S. illegally, according to the agency. In the statement, ICE alleged that Roberts was issued a “final order of removal by an immigration judge” in May 2024. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described Roberts a “criminal illegal alien.”

At the time of the arrest, the Guyana native allegedly abandoned his car and fled from police, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told the Des Moines Register. McLaughlin also alleged that Roberts was in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a hunting knife. 

The district did confirm in a statement, per Iowa Public Radio, that its policy dictates that weapons are “prohibited on school grounds or at a school-sponsored or school-related activity.”

Roberts also allegedly faces “existing weapon possession charges” from February 2020, per DHS. He was also charged with one count of possessing a loaded firearm inside a vehicle in connection with a December 2021 incident in Erie, Penn., per court records obtained by PEOPLE. He entered a guilty plea in January 2022.

“Dr. Roberts has a previous firearm charge related to a hunting rifle, which he disclosed to the DMPS Board during the hiring process,” DMPS said of Roberts’ 2021 charge.

“He provided sufficient context and explanation of the situation to move forward in the hiring process.  He has also spoken publicly about this experience,” DMPS said, per the Des Moines Register. 

Roberts also addressed the incident in a February 2022 social media post. At the time, he was the superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania. He explained that a state game warden issued him a citation while he was hunting in a wooded area. Roberts claimed he was a licensed gun owner. During the conversation, Roberts put the gun in his car to make the officer feel safe.

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The district also confirmed that Roberts underwent a third-party comprehensive background check. “In this case, Dr. Roberts completed the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted the required documentation,” Phil Roeder, the district’s director of communications and public affairs, said in a statement to the Des Moines Register. The statement also said the district did not know Robert’s order of removal.

Following Roberts’ arrest, the district announced that Matt Smith would serve as its interim superintendent in a press conference.

“We, too, are devastated by news of his detainment,” Smith said. “In the words of Dr. Roberts, ‘If you paddle together, you will survive the tide. If you paddle alone, you will likely drown. As we learn more, we chose to paddle together.”

Jackie Norris, DMPS board president, added, “What we do know is that Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined over two years ago.”

Des Moines city officials, including the police department, did not have advance notice of his detainment, Mayor Connie Boesen said in a statement.

Born in Guyana, Roberts grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, according to DMPS. He graduated with a B.S. degree from Coppin State University, two Masters degrees from St. John’s University and Georgetown University. Roberts later received his doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership from Trident University.

Roberts has worked in education for decades, holding roles as a classroom teacher, school administrator and executive leader. He has also authored several books about education.

Before becoming the DMPS superintendent in July 2023, he was a superintendent at Millcreek Township School District and St. Louis Public Schools (MO) High School Network. He also worked at schools in Baltimore, the South Bronx, N.Y. and Washington, D.C. He earned the George Washington University’s 2013 Washington D.C. Principal of the Year award.

Roberts also competed as a mid-distance runner in track and field for Guyana during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

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