Sydnie Mahoney, a 28-year-old Waterloo, Iowa, woman, has been sentenced to federal prison for making false statements during the purchase of four firearms. Her sentencing on June 17, 2026, follows a guilty plea entered on January 23, 2026.
Between March and September 2023, Mahoney acquired four guns from a Cedar Falls dealer, falsely indicating on federal forms that she was not an unlawful user of controlled substances, despite being a marijuana user at the time. Her boyfriend, Torion Byrd, accompanied her during two of these purchases.
One of the firearms Mahoney purchased was later discovered in a car driven by Byrd, a convicted felon, who was found with another man wanted on an arrest warrant. Byrd's DNA was present on the gun, which featured an extended magazine. Byrd subsequently received over three years in federal prison for his involvement.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Mahoney in Cedar Rapids to 12 months and a day in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative targeting violent crime. Mahoney is scheduled to surrender to the United States Marshal on July 20, 2026.