Nicholas Grindle, 32, of Summerville, Georgia, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and bribery charges. Grindle, a former prison guard at Hays State Prison, was caught smuggling drugs and other contraband to inmates.
Court documents reveal that between late 2023 and early 2024, Grindle used his position as a prison guard to smuggle methamphetamine into the facility. Financial records indicated that Grindle was receiving bribery payments from inmates, who paid him to bring in illegal drugs and other contraband.
“This prison guard was brazen enough to distribute dangerous drugs and other contraband,” said Jae W. Chung, acting special agent in charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “He must now face the consequences.”
Grindle’s crimes were uncovered when fellow officers searched his locker and found methamphetamine. Additionally, it was revealed that Grindle had falsely claimed to have been injured in combat while serving in Afghanistan. He told U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II that he had been stabbed by a Taliban fighter but had killed the fighter in self-defense. However, a review of his military records and letters from former unit members debunked these claims, revealing that Grindle had fabricated his story.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. expressed that Grindle had violated his oath of office by smuggling drugs into the prison and compounded his crime by lying about his military service.
Grindle will now serve a prison sentence for his actions, which shook the integrity of the prison system and tarnished the honor of his military service.
