A former Hays Correctional Officer was sentenced to 87 months in prison this week for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine and bribery. His plea for leniency, claiming military injuries, was found false. He smuggled drugs while working as a prison guard and received bribes from inmates.

Nicholas Grindle, 32, from Summerville, Georgia, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and bribery. His request for a lighter sentence, based on claims of being injured in combat, was revealed to be false. United States District Judge William M. Ray, II, imposed the sentence after Grindle pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024.

Grindle, a guard at Hays State Prison, was found to have smuggled methamphetamine and other contraband to inmates between late 2023 and early 2024, breaching his trust as a correctional officer. Acting U. S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. stated that Grindle violated his oath by bringing drugs into the prison. His wrongful actions came to light when fellow officers searched his locker and discovered drugs and other illegal items. Financial records also showed that he received bribes from inmates for smuggling contraband.

During the sentencing, Grindle falsely claimed to have been injured in Afghanistan, but his military records proved otherwise. Tyrone Oliver, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections, emphasized that the agency does not tolerate actions that discredit its values. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Department of Corrections Office of Professional Standards, and the Lookout Mountain Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III, prosecuted the case.