DES MOINES, Iowa — Former Des Moines Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts is no longer in the Woodbury County Jail.

Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan confirmed Thursday morning that Roberts had been taken into custody by the U.S. Department of Justice on a federal warrant for his arrest. He did not specify what the warrant entailed.

The statement provided by Sheriff Sheehan directed that further inquiries be made to the DOJ. WHO 13 has reached out to the department to confirm the next steps in the case, but our messages have gone unanswered due to the government shutdown.

Roberts was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents nearly a week ago in Des Moines after allegedly fleeing from them. ICE said Roberts, who was born in Guyana, was in the country illegally after defying a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of 2024.

At the time of his arrest on September 26th, ICE said Roberts had a loaded gun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 cash in his possession. ICE also referenced an existing weapon possession charge from 2020 in Pennsylvania.

Officials with DMPS said they knew about the weapons incident, but weren’t aware Roberts was in the country illegally. When he was hired in 2023, he signed a standard form stating that he was a U.S. citizen.

Questions about Roberts’ claimed academic credentials have also arisen amid the chaos of his arrest.

Morgan State University officials confirmed to WHO 13 that Roberts attended the university and pursued a Doctor of Education in Urban Educational Leadership from 2002 to 2007, but he did not receive a degree from the institution. In a Wednesday news conference, Roberts’ attorney Alfredo Parrish said his client had a doctorate from Trident University International. The online university would not answer whether Roberts received a degree from the school, citing its policy, which requires a client’s consent for the release of the information.

The Des Moines School Board originally placed him on paid administrative leave, then amended it to unpaid leave after the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked his license and he was no longer permitted to work as a superintendent in the state. The board requested documents to clear up the immigration and legal matters and provided a noon deadline on Wednesday, saying it would move to terminate him if supporting documentation was not produced.

Alfredo Parrish provided a letter of resignation to the board on Wednesday on behalf of his client.