DES MOINES, Iowa — The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen on a federal form and knowingly possessed several firearms illegally, according to a newly returned indictment that raises the prospect of a lengthy prison term.

A federal grand jury issued the two-count indictment Thursday charging former Des Moines schools superintendent Ian Roberts with one count of making a false statement for employment and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the country illegally. Together, the charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Roberts, who is originally from Guyana and worked for two decades in school districts across the U.S., was detained Sept. 26 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a

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