Two DHS agents face serious charges for allegedly selling seized drugs and abusing their authority in Utah
Salt Lake City: So, here’s the scoop. Two agents from the Department of Homeland Security are in hot water for allegedly selling drugs that they had seized as evidence. Can you believe it?
These guys, Nicholas Kindle and David Cole, were working in Utah and are now facing some serious charges. Cole got arrested a few weeks back after a grand jury indictment, and Kindle just got nabbed this week.
According to federal prosecutors, these agents really abused their power. They were supposed to be using the seized drugs for legitimate investigations, but instead, they were selling them off. It all started back in 2021, and they even stole cash and some fancy stuff from evidence lockups.
From 2022 to 2024, they allegedly sold “bath salts” to informants for thousands of dollars. And get this—they let those informants resell the drugs on the streets of Utah without making any arrests. Bath salts are no joke; they can be super dangerous.
The FBI claims this whole operation raked in between $195,000 and $300,000. They even used encrypted messaging to coordinate their deals, meeting up in regular places like Panera Bread and a Nike store. How wild is that?
Things started to unravel for them in October 2024 when a lawyer for one of their informants tipped off the U.S. Attorney’s Office about the shady dealings. Now, both agents are facing felony charges, and if they’re found guilty, they could be looking at some serious prison time—up to 25 years for Kindle.
Kindle’s first court appearance is set for January 21 in Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, Cole has pleaded not guilty and is gearing up for trial in February. Both agents have had their credentials suspended, but they haven’t been fired yet. What a mess!
