Sampson County Drug Boss Receives 50-Year Federal Prison Sentence
A federal judge sentenced Sampson County, North Carolina, drug trafficker Jabarri T. Smith to 50 years in prison on May 12, 2026. The term closes a multi-year investigation that removed 4.4 kilograms of fentanyl and heroin from circulation and triggers continued asset forfeiture proceedings against his organization.
nypost.comRALEIGH, N.C. — Jabarri T. Smith, identified in court records as the leader of a Sampson County drug trafficking organization, was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison on May 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
The sentence covers convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including more than 4,486 grams of fentanyl and heroin mixtures. Smith’s organization distributed these substances throughout eastern North Carolina, directly affecting users and local law enforcement in Sampson and surrounding counties.
Federal agents seized 4,486 kilograms of fentanyl and heroin during the investigation, along with firearms and cash proceeds.
The sentencing follows Smith’s guilty plea entered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Prior to sentencing, Smith faced a potential life term under federal trafficking statutes. The 50-year term replaces that exposure and takes effect immediately, with no parole available under current federal law.
The Bureau of Prisons will designate Smith to a high-security facility within the next 60 days.
Downstream, the judgment activates final forfeiture of vehicles, real property, and bank accounts tied to the organization, removing an estimated $1.2 million in drug proceeds from circulation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office must now file final forfeiture notices within 30 days, after which third-party claims can be litigated.
The long sentence also requires the U.S. Probation Office to monitor any potential co-conspirators released on supervised release who previously cooperated against Smith. Federal agents will next focus on any remaining mid-level distributors identified in discovery but not yet charged.
This case forms part of the broader Eastern District of North Carolina initiative targeting fentanyl trafficking organizations that supply the southeastern United States. The original indictment was returned in 2023 after a two-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and federal prosecutors.
Similar operations in the district have produced multi-decade sentences against six other regional suppliers since 2024.
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