A second Department of Homeland Security agent in Utah was arrested and charged in federal court on accusations of using a confidential informant to sell illicit drugs that were seized as evidence.
Nicholas Kindle, a special agent investigating illegal narcotics trafficking, was arrested three weeks after the arrest of his alleged co-conspirator, special agent David Cole. The two men are each charged with felony drug distribution conspiracy, while Kindle also faces a charge of conspiracy to convert property of the U.S. government for profit.
A judge set Kindle’s initial court appearance for Jan. 21 in Salt Lake City. He could face as many as 25 years in prison if convicted.
Cole was indicted last month by a grand jury, but Kindle was formally charged in an information document from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which does not require grand jury approval to initiate criminal proceedings.
Investigators began tracking the agents and recorded eight instances in which drugs were illegally sold to the informant.
In one instance, the informant gave the FBI a plastic foam cup with a granular substance inside that tested positive for drugs. The informant said the agents left the cup for him in a parking lot trash can.
Synthetic bath salts, also known as Alpha-PVP or cathinone, are believed to be similar to methamphetamine, cocaine or ecstasy, and are unrelated to actual bath products.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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