Army vet’s attempt to make up story about being Afghanistan hero while asking for leniency in meth smuggling case ends horribly for him

Citing his military heroism, a former Georgia prison guard convicted of drug offenses requested mercy in his sentence; however, the military heroism he claimed was a fabrication. Nicholas Grindle, 32, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, on February 10. In November 2024, he entered a guilty plea to counts of bribery and conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the purpose to distribute. He requested leniency from the judge when he was being sentenced because of his valiant service in Afghanistan. Then, however, the truth was revealed.

For a month in late 2023 and early 2024, Grindle was discovered by his coworkers smuggling “methamphetamine, cell phones, and other contraband” to convicts while he was employed as a prison guard at Georgia’s Hays State Prison, the release said. The supplies Grindle intended to distribute were found in his locker, and an examination of his financial records showed that he had been taking bribes from prisoners to bring the commodities into the country. On Nov. 21, 2024, Grindle entered a guilty plea to the charges. As the day of sentencing drew near, Grindle begged the judge for “mercy,” citing his injuries sustained while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.

According to reports, he informed the court that “a Taliban fighter had stabbed him in the shoulder and he killed the fighter with his pistol.” Grindle’s allegation was contested, and evidence was given to refute it, including his service documents and letters from former unit members. According to the statement, “Grindle violated his oath of office by smuggling drugs into a prison he swore to protect,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. Then, by fabricating his military service, he made this crime even worse. Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Division, which looked into Grindle’s case, described the conduct as “brazen” and stated that Grindle “must now face the consequences.”