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WEBVTT LATEST. MYRA: THEODORE KHLEBOROD AND ANABARRERO APPEARED ON THE THIRDFLOOR OF THIS COURT HOUSE TODAY.THEY APPEARED TO BE LISTENINGVERY INTENTLY AS AN INVESTIGATORWITH HOMELAND SECURITY TOOK THESTAND.SPECIAL AGENT PAUL CRISWELL SAYSTHEODORE KHLEBOROD AND HISGIRLFRIEND ANA BARRERO CAUGHTTHE ATTENTION OF FEDERALAUTHORITIES WHILE THEY WEREINVESTIGATING THE OVERDOSE DEATHOF AN 18-YEAR-OLD GIRL INPORTLAND, OREGON.CRISWELL SAYS INVESTIGATORSFOUND THE SYNTHETIC OPIOIDU-4-7-700 AT THE TEEN'S HOMEALONG WITH PACKAGING MATERIALWITH A FAKE ADDRESS HERE INGREENVILLE ALONG WITH APREGNANCY KIT WHICH WASAPPARENTLY USED TO HIDE THDRUGS WHEN SENT THROUGH THEMAILACCORDING TO CRISWELL THEVICTIM'S MOTHER TOLD AUTHORITIESTHAT HER DAUGHTER WAS KNOWN TOBUY DRUGS OVER THE INTERNET.CRISWELL SAYS INVESTIGATORSSTARTED LOOKING AT EMAILADDRESSES WHICH LED THEM TOPOSTAL RECORDS AND A CELL PHONENUMBER AND FACEBOOK PROFILE OFKHLEBOROD.CRISWEEL SAID RECEIPTS ANDSURVEILLANCE SHOWED THAT BARERROBOUGHT A LARGE VOLUME OFPREGNANCY TESTS FROM A DOLLARTREE IN GREENVILLE.HE SAYS INVESTIGATORS ALSOWATCHED BARRERO TRY TO SEND OFFPARCELS BELIEVED TO BE CARRYINGU-4-7 700 INCLUDING A COUPLE OFPACKAGES THAT UNDERCOVEROFFICERS ORDERED FROM KHLEBOROD.CRISWELL ALSO SAID THERE WASEVIDENCE THAT KHLEBOROD HADORDERED THE DRUG FROM CHINA INTHE PAST. THE SPECIAL AGENT DIDN'TELABORATE BUT ALSO SAIDINVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THECOUPLE'S DRUG ACTIVITY IS LINKEDTO AN UPSTATE OVERDOSE DEATH.COMING UP AT 6:00.WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT BROUGHT THESUSPECT ANA BARRERO'S MOTHER TOTEARS INSIDE THIS COURTHOUSE.MYRA RUIZ, WYFF, NEWS

Advertisement Feds reveal more details about couple accused of having 9 kilos of deadly drugs in Greenville Federal agent explains link of Theodore Vitaliy Khleborod, Ana Milena Barr to Oregon teen's death

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A federal magistrate ordered a Greenville couple to remain incarcerated, as they face charges of selling a deadly street drug through the U.S. Postal Service. Theodore Khleborod, 28, and Ana Barrero, 24, were arrested on Wednesday and charged with possession with intent to distribute U-47700, conspiring to possess with intent to distribute U-47700 and using the U.S. Postal Service to facilitate drug trafficking. U-4770 is also known as Pink. Click here to find out more about the deadly drug. Special Agent Paul Criswell, of the Department of Homeland Security, declined to offer details but said investigators believe Khleborod and Barrero are linked to a deadly overdose in the Upstate. Criswell's testimony focused on how an 18-year-old girl's overdose death in Portland, Oregon, led to the arrest of the co-defendants. Criswell said the teenager was found at home on Feb. 16, sitting cross-legged and doubled over on a bed. Investigators found U-47700, packaging labeled with a fictitious Greenville address and a pregnancy kit which was likely used to hide the drug when it was sent through the mail, Criswell said. The special agent said the victim's mother told authorities that her daughter would order drugs through the internet and provided an email address she would use. Investigators linked that address to the purchase of U-47700 from Khleborod on Feb. 11, Criswell said. Information from the Department of Homeland Security database also revealed that Khleborod ordered U-47700 from China in November 2016, Criswell testified. Postal records led investigators to a valid address in Greenville and an associated cellphone number, which authorities linked to Khleborod's Facebook profile, according to Criswell. Testimony revealed how investigators obtained receipts and surveillance video showing Barrero buying a large quantity of pregnancy kits from a Dollar Tree that were consistent with the brand found in the Portland teenager's home. Criswell said after setting up surveillance of the couple, investigators observed Barrero drop off parcels to be sent on two occasions. Authorities seized parcels that were believed to contain U-47700, the special agent testified. All the packages were labeled with a fictitious Greenville address, and two of them were undercover drug purchases made by law enforcement officers, Criswell said. While under surveillance, investigators observed Khleborod leave the apartment he shared with Barrero while she was no longer there, meet a different woman at a restaurant and rent a hotel room with her for a few hours before returning to the apartment. During the hearing, Barrero's defense attorney, Joshua Kendrick, talked about how his client, a native of Colombia, was forced to flee the country with her family after her parents, who were both lawyers in Bogota, caught the ire of drug traffickers there. Kendrick described his client as "hardworking" and "intelligent" and characterized her as a "mule" who may not have been fully aware of Khleborod's drug operation. At that point, he referred to Criswell's testimony about Khleborod's outing with another woman. Federal Public Defender Ben Stepp represented Khleborod during the hearing and described the link investigators have made between the deadly overdose in Portland and the co-defendants as "tenuous." Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Moorman argued that Khleborod and Barrero were flight risks whose alleged drug activity posed a danger to the community. Judge Kevin McDonald agreed with Moorman and ordered that the co-defendants remain detained and sent the case forward to the grand jury.