JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A federal investigation into two Jacksonville brothers accused of selling counterfeit oxycodone pills on the dark web is drawing attention to a relatively unfamiliar class of synthetic opioids, nitazenes.
But the case also raises a broader question: How can people know what is actually in a pill they buy illegally?
Federal prosecutors say Vladislav Chernyshov, 35, and Stanislav Chernyshov, 30, were arrested Aug. 28 and charged with conspiracy to distribute nitazenes.
According to court documents, the brothers allegedly operated on the darknet under the name “BarbaraWhite” and sold counterfeit oxycodone pills.
Laboratory testing of pills sold through the alleged conspiracy found several nitazenes, including protonitazene, metonitazene, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene and N-pyrrolidino isotonitazene, prosecutors said.
The pills were marketed as “fent-free.”
The investigation began after a fatal overdose in Arlington, Virginia, according to federal prosecutors.
What are nitazenes?
Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that were originally developed decades ago as potential painkillers but were never approved for medical use in the United States.
Today, illicitly manufactured nitazenes are appearing in the illegal drug supply.
Mike McCormick with Florida Poison Control leads a new initiative called Operation End Overdose. He says one of the biggest concerns is that people may not know they are taking a nitazene.
“Nitazenes, believe it or not, were developed by a pharmaceutical company in the 1950s. While it is somewhat new that we’ve been talking about for the last few years as they’ve started popping back up again, it’s actually an old substance,” McCormick said. “When it was developed, it was developed to be a kind of super pain reliever. The Food and Drug Administration and like agencies around the world looked at it and said it’s too potent, and the risk of dependency is too high, so it was never approved for medical use.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration says it has identified 22 unique nitazene compounds since 2020. The agency has warned that nitazenes and other emerging synthetic drugs are increasingly being found in the illegal drug supply, including in counterfeit pills.
That is what makes the Jacksonville case particularly concerning.
A person may believe they are taking oxycodone, or another prescription medication, when the pill actually contains a synthetic opioid they did not expect.
The DEA says counterfeit pills can contain multiple substances, making the illicit drug supply increasingly unpredictable.
The pills can look real
Counterfeit pills are designed to mimic legitimate prescription medication, including their shape, color and markings.
In the Jacksonville case, prosecutors say the pills sold by the brothers were made to look like pharmaceutical oxycodone.
McCormick said even a side-by-side comparison can be difficult.
“I show them in community presentations all the time and people, you know, I show a real one in a fake one side by side, and people can’t pick out which one is real and which one is fake,” McCormick said.
What is happening in Jacksonville?
The federal case does not mean Jacksonville investigators are seeing a widespread local nitazene problem.
News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee and photojournalist Jesse Hanson reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to find out whether local investigators have encountered the drug.
JSO said its Narcotics Unit has not encountered nitazenes in the Jacksonville area and does not currently have local data about their use to share with the community.
What happens during a nitazene overdose?
Nitazenes are opioids, meaning they can cause respiratory depression — slowing or stopping a person’s breathing.
The DEA says nitazene overdoses can require multiple doses of naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, because of the drug’s potency.
Signs of an opioid overdose can include someone who cannot be awakened, slow or abnormal breathing, pinpoint pupils, or blue or gray lips or skin.
If someone may be overdosing, call 911 and administer naloxone if it is available.
Florida’s Poison Control Centers also provide 24-hour help for suspected poisonings and drug exposures at 1-800-222-1222.
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