Two Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Dealers Sentenced to Federal Prison

Two Cedar Rapids men that distributed hundreds of pills containing fentanyl were recently sentenced to federal prison.

Henry Sorrell Barnes, Jr., age 35, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 12, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Noah Christopher Ward, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 13, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence disclosed at prior hearings and their respective sentencings showed that between January 2023 and September 27, 2023, Barnes distributed at least 4,000 pills containing fentanyl in Cedar Rapids. Between May 2023, and late October 2023, Ward obtained at least 815 pills containing fentanyl from different sources, including Barnes, and Ward distributed many of the pills that he obtained. On two occasions, Ward sold Barnes a firearm in exchange for pills containing fentanyl.

On August 13, 2024, Barnes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Barnes was sentenced to 78 months' imprisonment, and he must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.

On August 7, 2024, Ward was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Williams. Ward was sentenced to 39 months' imprisonment, and he must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Barnes and Ward are being held in the United States Marshal's custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.

These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force, consisting of the Johnson County Sherriff's Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the United States Parcel Service.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file numbers are 23-CR-70 and 23-CR-77.

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