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By HANNAH FINGERHUT
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The superintendent of Iowa’s largest college district, who was detained final week by immigration brokers, was charged Thursday in federal court docket with possessing firearms whereas within the U.S. illegally, prosecutors mentioned.
Ian Roberts resigned this week as Des Moines’ superintendent of colleges, simply days after he was pulled over and fled from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers, who in the end arrested him with the assistance of officers from the Iowa State Patrol. When he was arrested, federal brokers discovered a handgun that was wrapped in a towel contained in the Jeep Cherokee he was driving, in accordance with court docket papers.
Roberts, who’s initially from Guyana, had been jailed in Sioux Metropolis, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, since late Friday afternoon. Officers mentioned he was taken into custody on a federal arrest warrant for the weapons cost and appeared by video earlier than a federal Justice of the Peace choose.
Roberts’ lawyer, Alfredo Parrish, mentioned his shopper will plead not responsible.
“Our place presently — he has a presumption of innocence,” Parrish mentioned. “He’ll train his proper to point to the court docket, if he’s indicted, that he’s not responsible,” Parrish mentioned, including that there has not been an indictment returned by the grand jury.
Roberts, 54, is alleged to have been in possession of 4 firearms, in accordance with court docket paperwork. Authorities mentioned Roberts had been approved to work within the U.S. between December 2018 and 2020 however has since “not had lawful employment authorization,” in accordance with the grievance.
Federal authorities mentioned Roberts had a last elimination order that was issued final yr, and an immigration choose denied a movement to reopen Roberts’ immigration case in April this yr. The grievance launched Tuesday alleged that Roberts had that last elimination order in a special automobile at his residence.
Roberts had been beneath the impression from a previous lawyer that his immigration case was “resolved efficiently,” his lawyer has mentioned.
“It has been my pleasure to characterize you all through this course of, and I’m happy to report that your case has reached a profitable decision,” Texas lawyer Jackeline Gonzalez wrote on March 27.
An aide to Gonzalez confirmed to The Related Press Tuesday that the regulation agency had represented Roberts however gave no instant remark.
Gonzalez spoke earlier this week to federal officers and mentioned the letter she despatched had knowledgeable Roberts “that the immigration case with Gonzalez’s workplace was being closed,” in accordance with court docket papers. Roberts had an unpaid authorized invoice along with her workplace.
“Gonzalez added that the letter was not meant to convey” that his case with the court docket had been accomplished, the court docket paperwork mentioned.
Gonzalez declined to inform authorities, nonetheless, about her communication with Roberts in regards to the immigration choose’s denial of the movement to reopen his case, which was despatched to her workplace.
One firearm, the one discovered beneath the driving force’s seat of his school-issued car when he was arrested, was a pistol believed to have been bought by Roberts’ spouse, authorities mentioned. The opposite three — a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun — have been discovered throughout a search of Roberts’ residence, the grievance mentioned, and all have been allegedly loaded.
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