Harold Vernard Greene Jr., 45, was sentenced today to 24 years in federal prison for drug trafficking while three children were present in his vehicle. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced the sentence, marking Greene’s third federal conviction in the district.
“Greene is a frequent federal felon with direct ties to Mexico-based drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. “We will not tolerate habitual narcotics traffickers in our state and will continue our pursuit of these individuals, including their foreign suppliers.”
In January 2023, law enforcement officials identified Greene meeting with drug couriers in Wilmington, North Carolina. Authorities observed Greene meet a courier in a mall parking lot and exchange a package, which he handed to another individual, his girlfriend, who was driving a second vehicle with three minor children inside.
A search of the vehicle revealed that the package contained one kilogram of cocaine. Following this, a search warrant was executed at Greene’s apartment, where authorities seized a loaded firearm, drug packaging materials, marijuana products, psilocybin gummies, bulk cash, and four cell phones. The analysis of the phones uncovered communications linking Greene to drug traffickers based in Mexico.
Greene’s criminal history includes two prior federal convictions. In 2013, he was sentenced to 84 months for cocaine trafficking, and in 2017, he received another 24-month sentence for drug possession while in federal prison. Additionally, Greene has four state felony convictions for drug trafficking.
This conviction further demonstrates the ongoing commitment of law enforcement to dismantling drug trafficking networks, particularly those involving minors and repeat offenders.
