Man sentenced for role in fencing operation

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — A Bulgaria native has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for operating a fraudulent fencing operation.

Nedeltcho Vladimirov, 53, led the scheme, which involved acquiring stolen goods and reselling items for a profit to an unsuspecting consumer.

According to the Department of Justice, Vladimirov resold items at a fraction of retail costs to individuals addicted to heroin. He met these people, known as boosters, at a Cross Lanes gas station.

Investigators found Vladimirov sold more than 7,000 items online and had over $594,000 in sales over three years. The “boosters” would use cash from Vladimirov to purchase drugs.

A federal jury convicted Vladimirov in July of one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and three counts of money laundering. A federal judge sentenced Vladimirov to eight years and one month in prison.