DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal authorities on Friday said the superintendent of Iowa's largest school district had a history of criminal charges before his arrest by immigration agents last week, which shocked the community and prompted the school board to sue the consulting company it hired to vet candidates.

Des Moines Public Schools hired Ian Roberts in 2023 to lead its district of about 30,000 students over two years ago, but federal authorities said the Guyana native was in the U.S. illegally and has not had work authorization for several years. Officials on Friday provided a list of criminal charges in Roberts' record, including drug possession and intent to sell in 1996 and weapons charges in 2020 and 2022.

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