A Clinton man was sentenced on January 16, 2026, to three years in federal prison for falsely using a social security number, aggravated identity theft, and firearms offenses.
According to public court records, Rusty Todd Johnston, 46, was convicted of a felony drug offense in Brooks County, Texas in 2005. He was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence with community supervision. Within months, Johnston absconded from his Texas probation and Texas authorities issued an arrest warrant. By approximately 2008, Johnston stopped using his real name, date of birth, and social security number. Instead, Johnston assumed the identity of Adam Preston Duriga—a real person from the state of Nevada, who died in 2013.
In early 2020, Johnston moved to Clinton, Iowa. Johnston obtained an Iowa Commercial Driver’s License using Duriga’s identifiers. In 2021, Johnston purchased a handgun in Davenport from a federally licensed firearms dealer using Duriga’s identity and falsely certified he was not a felon. In December 2024, law enforcement officers searched Johnston’s residence and found the handgun that Johnston had illegally purchased.
Over the approximate 15 years that Johnston falsely used Duriga’s identity, he fraudulently acquired state-issued driver’s licenses in Iowa, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Johnston applied for and received replacement Social Security cards five times in Duriga’s identity. Johnston married at least twice using his false name and identity.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Johnston will be required to serve a two‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt prosecuted the case.
