FBI: 'Fent-Free' Oxycodone Pills Sold on Darknet Contained Nitazenes

Two Jacksonville brothers accused of running a darknet pill operation sold counterfeit oxycodone marketed as "fent free" that in reality contained nitazenes — a class of synthetic opioids that can match or surpass fentanyl's potency — federal prosecutors said. Vladislav Chernyshov, 35, and Stanislav Chernyshov, 30, were arrested Aug. 28 and charged with conspiracy to distribute nitazenes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

A fatal Arlington overdose opened the case

The investigation traces back to a fatal overdose in Arlington, Virginia. Court records say the overdose occurred Aug. 28, 2023, four days after a parcel was delivered to the victim. Blue pills were found at the scene, and an intermediary who ordered the drugs told investigators they had been purchased from a darknet vendor known as "BarbaraWhite."

The Drug Enforcement Administration had begun investigating BarbaraWhite in May 2023. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Washington Division, the Arlington County Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office joined the case in April 2024, according to an FBI task force officer's affidavit.

Investigators allege the brothers operated BarbaraWhite and BarbaraWhite1 accounts on darknet marketplaces, using them to sell counterfeit pills designed to resemble prescription 30-milligram oxycodone tablets. The alleged conspiracy stretches back to May 5, 2021, and the vendor advertised its pills as fentanyl-free the entire time, according to the affidavit.

A jewelry store, a trash bag and a raid

The investigation led to Victory Jewelers on Sunbeam Road in Jacksonville, a store that hardly ever had customers, according to court documents. When investigators attempted undercover purchases in March 2026, they frequently found the store closed.

In late May, an FBI surveillance team watched a man drop a trash bag into a dumpster behind the strip mall. Inside, investigators found empty vacuum-seal boxes and rolls, rubber gloves, hairnets, five-gallon zip-lock bags containing blue powder residue, and two blue pills stamped "M-30" — the marking found on legitimate oxycodone tablets. A field test indicated the residue contained N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene, a synthetic opioid.

FBI agents raided the jewelry store and a home in St. Johns County on the morning of Aug. 28. If convicted, each brother faces a maximum penalty of at least 20 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. A federal judge would determine any sentence after considering the federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

What are nitazenes?

Nitazenes are synthetic opioids originally developed decades ago as potential painkillers but never approved for medical use in the United States. Today, illicitly manufactured versions are appearing in the illegal drug supply, frequently pressed into counterfeit pills.

"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," said Mike McCormick of Florida Poison Control, who leads a new initiative called Operation End Overdose. "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 DEA says it has identified 22 unique nitazene compounds since 2020 and warns that nitazenes and other emerging synthetic drugs are increasingly found in the illegal drug supply, including in counterfeit pills. Earlier reporting has documented more than 1,100 confirmed U.S. deaths tied to the compounds, with some varieties measured at many times fentanyl's potency.

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 were made to look like pharmaceutical oxycodone — and were sold specifically to buyers trying to avoid fentanyl.

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," he said.

The federal case does not mean Jacksonville investigators are seeing a widespread local nitazene problem. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said its Narcotics Unit has not encountered nitazenes in the area and does not currently have local data about their use to share with the community.

Harder overdoses to reverse

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 drugs' 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.

For people who use drugs not prescribed to them, the case underscores a blunt reality: there is no reliable way to know what an illegally purchased pill contains. People seeking help for opioid use disorder can find treatment programs nationwide, including medications that reduce cravings and overdose risk.