Overview

• Ian Roberts made an initial appearance Thursday in federal court after being transferred from a county jail to Department of Justice custody on a federal warrant.
• Court filings describe a loaded Glock 19 found in his district vehicle and three additional firearms recovered at his home, along with a hunting knife and $3,000 in cash.
• An ATF trace shows the Glock was bought in 2019 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, by a woman authorities believe to be Roberts’ wife, according to the complaint.
• Documents state Roberts entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, had work authorization through December 2020, was ordered removed in May 2024, fled a traffic stop, and was found about 200 yards from his abandoned vehicle.
• Roberts resigned this week after his Iowa administrator license was revoked, the DOJ Civil Rights Division opened a probe into district hiring practices, and his attorneys filed motions to stay deportation and reopen his immigration case.