Two former agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Utah have been sentenced for orchestrating a large-scale scheme involving the illegal sale of synthetic drugs, netting hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits.
Court records show that David Cole and Nicholas Kindle used their positions to manipulate evidence, deceive colleagues, and profit from selling bath salts through confidential informants between 2021 and 2024.
Cole pleaded guilty to conspiracy to convert property of another by a U.S. officer or employee and removal of property within the United States. Kindle faced those same charges and an additional count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty to both.
According to investigators, the two agents began obtaining bath salts in 2021 under false pretenses. They either removed the substances from evidence or misled other law enforcement officers into believing the drugs were needed for active investigations.
From 2022 through early 2024, Cole and Kindle sold the synthetic drugs to a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) informant, allowing that individual to resell them for profit. The agents reportedly used this setup to disguise their involvement and generate illicit revenue.
In 2024, they recruited a second informant to act as a buyer, selling 25 grams of bath salts each week for $5,000 per transaction. Federal prosecutors estimated their profits reached as high as $300,000 during the operation.
The court handed David Cole a sentence of 7 years and 3 months in federal prison in Phoenix, followed by 36 months of supervised release. He must also undergo substance abuse treatment while incarcerated and provide a DNA sample for federal records.
Nicholas Kindle received 5 years in federal prison in South Dakota and will participate in a substance abuse rehabilitation program, with the option to receive HVAC vocational training. After serving his sentence, Kindle will be placed under 24 months of supervised release and must also submit his DNA.
Both men were ordered to pay a money judgment of $97,500 and forfeit more than $100,000 in proceeds linked to the illegal scheme.
The case marks one of Utah’s most serious corruption incidents involving federal law enforcement in recent years, underscoring how internal oversight and federal accountability continue to be tested within agencies responsible for public trust.
