Upstate woman sentenced for selling opioids over the dark web for bitcoin

GREENVILLE, SC (WIS) - An Upstate woman has been convicted after attempting to sell drugs over the dark web.

The United States Attorney Beth Drake announced that Ana Milena Barrero, 24, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Federal Court in Greenville on Friday.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing and at the sentencing hearing showed that Barrero and her boyfriend, Theodore Khleborod, formed an agreement to sell large quantities of opioids, including U-47700 and fentanyl, using a dark web internet site called "AlphaBay."

Interfacing with customers on AlphaBay under the username "PetertheGreat," Khleborod and Barrero would ship opioids to customers via the U.S. Mail, and these customers would pay for the drugs using bitcoin.

The investigation ended in the arrest of Khleborod and Barrero on April 26, 2017, and a search of their apartment in downtown Greenville.

Police seized approximately 43 pounds of substances they believe to be opioids during the search of the apartment, and authorities believe that drugs distributed by Barrero and Khleborod resulted in the deaths of at least two people and the serious bodily injury of a third.

The case was investigated by Special Agents with ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, the Greenville Police Department, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Andy Moorman, Deputy Criminal Chief for the Narcotics Division, prosecuted the case.

Copyright 2018 WIS. All rights reserved.