Who is John C. Bennett from No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith and what is their importance?

John C. Bennett was a scoundrel and a thief who was a land speculator. When he heard that the Mormons were moving to Illinois he wrote to Joseph, offering to help him obtain land for his community. He joined the church, and managed to become an intimate friend and advisor to Joseph. He was given the task of purchasing land for the large number of people who were fleeing Missouri to Illinois. Some of the land he sold to members was contested land that belonged to the half-breed nation, who bought and sold their land repeatedly, with little regard for titles and deeds. This eventually meant that a large number of families lost their homes and land in Iowa that Bennett had sold to them. He convinced the prophet that the swampland around Commerce, Illinois was a good place for his people. This land was a malarial swamp, filled with disease and impossible to build on without much work.