Morgan State University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and George Washington University have now disputed the academic claims made by Ian Andre Roberts, the illegal immigrant from Guyana who was arrested last Friday, and on Tuesday resigned from his position as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) in Iowa.
MIT denied awarding Roberts any degree, according to the Des Moines Register, which reported on Wednesday that the MIT Registrar’s Office had no record of Roberts’ enrollment.
Similarly, George Washington University told The Register that it never named Roberts its “Principal of the Year,” as Roberts reportedly claimed to DMPS, leading the school district to repeat the claim in a press release.
It was previously reported by the outlet on Tuesday that Morgan denied awarding Roberts a Doctorate of Education, as the Guyanese man reportedly claimed as recently as 2020. His lawyer has instead claimed the doctorate was obtained through Trident International University, a for-profit online school based in Arizona.
Trident did not respond to an inquiry from The Tennessee Star that sought to clarify the years Roberts attended, or what degrees and certifications he obtained, prior to publication.
The Star additionally contacted the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, where Roberts reportedly claimed to receive a master’s degree in 2013, but did not receive a response prior to press time.
Roberts additionally claimed on LinkedIn that he attended the Harvard University Graduate School of Education in 2003, but the school has yet to respond to an inquiry from The Star seeking confirmation of Roberts’ enrollment, as well as information about what type of accreditation he might have obtained during his purported year of study.
Another Maryland institution, Coppin State University, told The Register that Roberts graduated in 1998 with a Baccalaureate of Science degree in criminology, while St. John’s University in New York confirmed it awarded Roberts a Master’s degree in social studies in 2000.
The evolving portrait of Roberts’ educational background comes after Maryland Freedom Caucus Chairman and State Delegate Matt Morgan (R-St. Mary’s County) confirmed that Roberts had registered to vote as a Democrat, with current voter registration information indicating the Guyanese national was actively registered to vote at an address in Greenbelt, Maryland, at the time of his arrest.
In a lengthy statement sent to The Star on Tuesday, the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) said it could neither confirm nor deny that its registered voter is the illegal immigrant who last worked in Maryland in 2014.
“SBE cannot and will not publicly announce whether media reports about the individual in question is or is not or was or was not a registered voter in Maryland,” said the state agency. It later stated, “This office will not disenfranchise a voter based upon partial or unsubstantiated evidence.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that Roberts initially fled from its agents in a vehicle owned by the school district, which was later found abandoned with the assistance of state troopers. ICE additionally said a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 were recovered after Roberts’ arrest.
Roberts remained detained at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa. He is eligible for deportation at any time, as he was issued a final order of deportation in 2024; however, his attorney has sought to stay the deportation and reopen his client’s immigration case.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ian Roberts” by Des Moines Public Schools.
Begs the question of the contracted investigating firm hired in Iowa to verify Robert’s educational claim and education background. Negligence is one thought; malfeasance is another when thinking of their work. Who else was hired with this firm providing the background check, not only in this school but others. Any benefits he accrued, e.g., pension contributions, must be collected and returned to the general treasuries in all states he defrauded. I do not blame the school system, fault rests with the contracted investigation firm who also must return received contracted dollars to the school.
The people who hired this man need to be behind bars.