CEDAR RAPIDS – A Charles City domestic abuser who possessed a firearm as a prohibited person pled guilty Wednesday in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Dashaune Terrell Burns-Johnson (pictured at top), age 31, from Charles City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
At the plea hearing, Burns-Johnson admitted that, on May 22, 2024, in Charles City he knowingly possessed a Taurus G3c, 9×19 mm pistol. At the time he possessed the gun, he knew that he had been convicted of a felony, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, second offense, and that he had been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, specifically, domestic abuse assault.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Burns-Johnson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Burns-Johnson faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Charles City Police Department.