DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s biggest school system announced Tuesday it has updated its ethics guidelines following a state audit that verified the former superintendent inappropriately steered district contracts to a consulting business where he was employed, validating earlier reporting by The Associated Press following his detention by federal immigration authorities.
Ian Roberts, originally from Guyana in South America, spent twenty years as an educator and school administrator in city districts nationwide. His arrest on September 26 stunned the local community and brought nationwide focus to his background of criminal allegations and fake academic credentials. In January, he entered a guilty plea in federal court, acknowledging he falsely declared U.S. citizenship on federal paperwork and unlawfully owned firearms.
Following AP’s reporting, Des Moines Public Schools called for a financial reaudit in October after learning Roberts had planned to seek school board approval for a deal with Lively Paradox, a Kansas City consulting company that promoted Roberts as a consultant and public speaker. Finance department staff advised Roberts against pursuing the contract after identifying the ethical violation. However, several months afterward, the district paid Lively Paradox $6,476 for consulting services and travel costs for individual projects Roberts could authorize without requiring board consent.
Tuesday’s state audit validated these discoveries, stating that the district’s chief financial officer indicated he “did not think Dr. Roberts would propose using Lively Paradox again after being declined the first time,” according to the report. District officials informed investigators the CFO was traveling internationally when a different finance employee approved the agreement, unaware of the ethical conflict.
At that time, the district lacked a formal conflict-of-interest disclosure requirement, mandating only ethics training. Moving forward, administrators must now reveal annually any “actual or potential conflicts,” Kim Martorano, Des Moines School Board chair, said in a statement.
The audit additionally discovered Roberts utilized district money for over $2,000 in charitable contributions. District officials told investigators they sought legal guidance and later updated their procedures following Roberts’ payments of $1,200 for two tables at an Iowa Juneteenth celebration and $600 for eight tables at a Habitat for Humanity fundraising lunch, both occurring in June 2024. He made two additional similar donations to Des Moines and Urbandale business and chamber organizations.
Martorano stressed Tuesday that such expenditures violated policy and the district would strengthen enforcement through enhanced training.
Roberts modified his plea in January through a deal with federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. Prosecutors committed not to file additional charges against Roberts or associates connected to these violations, court documents show. They also agreed to suggest some leniency, though Roberts’ final punishment remains with U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger. His sentencing hearing is set for May 29. The combined charges carry a potential maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.
Alfredo Parrish, representing Roberts, told media following his client’s guilty plea that Roberts had “wanted to accept responsibility and that’s what he did.”
