Flowery Branch man pleads guilty, sentenced to 30 years…

A Flowery Branch man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to several counts related to the 2022 rape and assault of a teenager in Gwinnett County.

According to court documents, 22-year-old Zachary Iona pleaded guilty to rape and aggravated assault in Gwinnett County Superior Court on Thursday. He was arrested following the incident in early February 2022 and has been in the Gwinnett County Jail since then.

Authorities accused Iona of raping the girl and then stabbing her 86 times. The girl, who was 15 at the time, survived the attack.

Iona was sentenced by Judge Tracie H. Cason to life imprisonment, with the first 30 years to be served in prison.