Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
An Iowa woman, Sarah Kay Johnson, has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun and sharing firearms with her husband, Ian Jon Duffy, a convicted felon. The sentencing took place on March 14, 2025.
Johnson, aged 38 and residing in Mason City, Iowa, pleaded guilty on October 17, 2024, to possession of a national firearms destructive device not registered to the possessor. Her conviction stems from an incident in October 2023 when law enforcement stopped Duffy due to concerns about his wellbeing. During the stop, he was found with multiple loaded firearms despite being prohibited from possessing them due to a prior domestic abuse conviction.
Following the traffic stop, Johnson acquired a Glock handgun for Duffy and shared several other firearms with him at their residence. Among these was the sawed-off shotgun which led to her federal charges.
The case was heard by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids. In addition to her prison sentence, Johnson will serve a three-year term of supervised release post-incarceration as there is no parole available in the federal system.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin prosecuted the case following investigations conducted by multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Waterloo Police Department; and Cedar Falls Police Department.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites various levels of law enforcement with community members to reduce violent crime and gun violence. Launched on May 26, 2021, PSN emphasizes trust-building within communities and supporting organizations focused on violence prevention.
