The U.S. Attorney’s Office, for the Northern District of Iowa announced that two Cedar Rapids men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Henry Sorrell Barnes, Jr., 35, and Noah Christopher Ward, 25, received sentences of 78 months and 39 months, respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Barnes admitted to distributing more than 4,000 pills containing fentanyl between January and June 2022. Ward, who also pleaded guilty, was responsible for distributing over 800 fentanyl pills, many of which he obtained directly from Barnes. Law enforcement found that both men were part of a larger operation distributing significant quantities of counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl throughout the Cedar Rapids area.
The case highlights the ongoing fentanyl crisis, which has seen a sharp rise in overdose deaths nationwide. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is often mixed with other drugs, leading to fatal overdoses. Authorities emphasize that this sentencing is part of a broader effort to combat the trafficking of this deadly drug.