Las Vegas man sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distributing over 100,000 oxycodone pills

Memphis, TN – Gabriel Rounds, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment for his role in distributing more than 100,000 oxycodone pills in the Memphis area and conspiracy to knowingly conduct financial transactions affecting interstate commerce, known as money laundering. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on or about May 9, 2013, Las Vegas Postal Inspectors began an investigation into mailings of illegal narcotics destined for the Memphis area. During the course of the investigation, several U.S. mail parcels containing oxycodone pills were seized.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "This office continues our fight against the supply and flow of dangerous prescription opioids into the Western District of Tennessee. This disturbing case demonstrates the lengths to which drug dealers will go to profit from addiction and suffering, and this significant sentence demonstrates our resolve to punish and deter such brazen interstate criminal conduct."

Postal Inspectors were able to identify phone numbers, surveillance images, vehicle registrations and other information that identified Gabriel Rounds and Magan Hall sending the packages to various addresses and recipients residing in Memphis. Based upon USPIS findings a search warrant was issued for the residence of Rounds and Hall. Hall admitted to helping Rounds package the pills in Express Mail envelopes.

On April 26, 2016, Las Vegas Postal Inspectors were advised by a postal employee that an unidentified female was attempting to mail USPS Express Mail packages. The USPS employees advised the female came in weekly and sent express parcels to Memphis. A package was examined by the Postal Inspectors and appeared to have characteristics of parcels containing controlled substances and/or proceeds. Due to the nature of the subject parcel, it was removed from the mail stream for examination.

On April 27, 2016, the package was further examined by a narcotics detective K-9 who alerted to the odor of narcotics inside the parcel. On May 2, 2016, a search warrant was executed on the parcel and revealed 456 oxycodone pills being concealed inside M&M’s candy bags.

On June 15, 2018, U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Rounds to 188 imprisonment, to be followed by six years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspectors Office, Las Vegas Postal Inspectors Office, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee National Guard Counter Narcotics Team.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.