Jarrku Natu Bennett, Drug Distribution Conspiracy, NC 2015

Greenville drug trafficker Jarrku Natu Bennett, 32, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 70 months for running a multi-drug distribution ring across Eastern North Carolina. Bennett, a known figure in the city’s underground drug trade, admitted to flooding neighborhoods with cocaine, heroin, and marijuana before his arrest in early 2015.

On March 3, 2015, the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force pulled Bennett over during a routine traffic stop that quickly turned into a major narcotics bust. Inside his vehicle, detectives recovered 62 grams of cocaine and 111 grams of marijuana—just a fraction of the total haul authorities would later tie to him. The stop triggered a wider investigation that exposed a sustained trafficking operation spanning nearly eight months.

Bennett’s criminal footprint stretched far beyond what was found in his car. Investigators determined he distributed a minimum of 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 49 grams of crack cocaine, 1.8 kilograms of marijuana, and an undetermined quantity of heroin between August 2014 and March 2015. The scale and frequency of the operation prompted federal intervention and a swift conspiracy charge.

On August 17, 2015, Bennett pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, along with heroin and marijuana. No deals were cut, no excuses made. U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III handed down the 70-month sentence and tacked on 8 years of supervised release, sending a clear message about the consequences of organized drug crimes.

The investigation was a joint operation involving the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Persistent tracking, wiretaps, and informant testimony helped dismantle Bennett’s network and solidify the federal case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Perry, a Pitt County prosecutor detailed to the Eastern District under funding from the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, led the prosecution. Perry, assigned to handle Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases, ensured the case moved swiftly through the federal system. Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb confirmed the interagency effort reflects a broader push to eliminate high-level drug trafficking in the region.