Overview

• Federal prosecutors charged Roberts by complaint with possessing firearms while unlawfully in the U.S., and he made an initial court appearance Thursday after being moved to DOJ custody.
• Investigators report finding a loaded Glock in a district vehicle and three additional firearms at his home, with an ATF trace linking the pistol to a 2019 purchase in Arkansas.
• According to the complaint and ICE, Roberts fled a traffic stop, abandoned his vehicle, and was found in nearby brush with $3,000 in cash and a fixed-blade knife.
• ICE says an immigration judge issued a final removal order in May 2024 and that Roberts lacked work authorization since 2020; his attorneys have sought to reopen proceedings and obtain a stay.
• The Des Moines school board accepted his resignation and said it will sue its search firm over vetting, as the DOJ Civil Rights Division launches a hiring-practices inquiry.