CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The alleged ringleader of a two-year shoplifting-for-profit scheme in the Kanawha Valley appeared in federal court on Thursday.
Nedeltcho Vladimirov of Cross Lanes briefly appeared before U.S. Magistrate Dwane Tinsley for a detention hearing at the Byrd Federal Courthouse.
He was named the suspect in the massive fencing operation that hired a network of shoplifters that allegedly took nearly 4,000 items valued at nearly $400,000 from retailers in approximately the past two years.
According to authorities, Vladimirov would then relist the stolen items on eBay and other social media sites such as Facebook Marketplace for sale. They believe the stolen items generated around $200,000 in sales from Jan. 2019 to Jan. 2020.
Following the appearance in court, Vladimirov was detained and remanded to the custody of US Marshal pending further proceedings.
Vladimirov has been charged with money laundering. He’s currently being held in the South Central Regional Jail.