A man who helped mail controlled substances to customers of an international online drug operation was sentenced to time served in federal court in Buffalo, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said. Leeladhar Tandel, 45, had spent about 14 months in custody and was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after sentencing.
U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara imposed the sentence after Tandel was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. Federal prosecutors said Tandel, an Indian national who lived in Mobile, Alabama, was a smaller re-shipper in a network that sold drugs through websites including MEDDZONLINE.COM and PHARMACYSTORESONLINE.com.
According to the U.S. attorney's office, the conspiracy ran from July 2024 through March 2025 and involved tapentadol, alprazolam, clonazepam, carisoprodol and zolpidem. The organization received orders online, shipped drugs in bulk through international mail to a U.S. re-shipper, then paid smaller re-shippers to mail packages to customers.
The Drug Enforcement Administration's Buffalo District Office learned in June 2024 that Tandel was operating in the Mobile area, prosecutors said. On June 6 of that year, agents made an undercover online purchase of 60 zolpidem pills for $489.60.
In May 2025, investigators recovered 40 packages originating in Summerdale, Alabama, that prosecutors said Tandel had mailed. The parcels contained 1,620 suspected tramadol pills, 2,100 suspected zolpidem pills, 2,100 suspected alprazolam pills and 1,080 suspected tapentadol pills.
Prosecutors said shipping labels showed customers across the United States. Their release did not identify where the packages were headed or say that laboratory testing had confirmed the substances described as suspected pills.
The DEA investigated the case, with assistance from offices in St. Louis, Atlanta and Mobile. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Violanti prosecuted it. The U.S. attorney's office said the investigation was part of the federal Homeland Security Task Force initiative.
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