A school superintendent undergoes intense vetting, and every rung on the career ladder requires background checks. Ian Andre Roberts’ life reads less like a CV than a pitch for a Hollywood script in the classic tradition of the charming conman. A retired police commissioner in Guyana confirmed that Roberts graduated from officer training and joined the country’s police force. But once you reach other aspects of his life – degrees, awards, academic achievements – the truth grows hazier. Spike Lee coined the phrase “Magical Negro” to mock Hollywood’s fondness for the saintly black character who redeems white protagonists.