A man who conspired to distribute heroin was sentenced on January 10  to two years in federal prison. Thirty-year-old Taylor James Leyden of Riverside received the prison term after a July 5, 2022, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. During proceedings, Leyden admitted he conspired with others to distribute heroin. Evidence at prior hearings and information presented at the sentencing hearing showed that, in 2021, the Cedar Rapids DEA conducted a wiretap investigation of several heroin and fentanyl traffickers in the Cedar Rapids area. In March 2021, based on intercepted communications from the wiretap, the vehicle in which Leyden was riding was stopped by police. During a search of the vehicle, Leyden was found in possession of over 10 grams of a mixture containing heroin and other substances. About two months later, Leyden was again stopped by law enforcement and found in possession of approximately 3.5 grams of a substance that contained heroin, fentanyl, and metonitazene. Leyden was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Leyden is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff’s Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.