An Arlington overdose death has led to federal charges against two Florida brothers accused of distributing nitazenes, a powerful class of synthetic opioids.
According to court documents, Vladislav Chernyshov, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, and his brother, Stanislav Chernyshov, 30, a Russian national who prosecutors say was living in Jacksonville illegally, were arrested in Florida on Aug. 28 and charged with conspiracy to distribute nitazenes.
Court documents allege the brothers sold counterfeit oxycodone pills on the darknet under the name “BarbaraWhite.” The pills allegedly contained markings designed to resemble legitimate oxycodone tablets. Laboratory testing found the counterfeit pills contained various nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids similar to fentanyl that can be equally or more potent.
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According to court records, the pills were marketed on the darknet as being “fent-free.” However, investigators said the substances identified in the pills may be more powerful than fentanyl.
Law enforcement began investigating after a fatal overdose in Arlington in August 2023. Court documents allege the victim died after receiving blue pills purchased from “BarbaraWhite.”
If convicted, Vladislav and Stanislav Chernyshov face a maximum penalty of at least 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.