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PHX federal air marshal accused of selling, making drugs

Posted at 10:18 PM, Aug 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-25 15:18:12-04

The latest arrest of a federal air marshal is part of a much bigger picture.

Kristopher Hanks, a federal air marshal whose current employment status is unknown, is facing several different charges for allegedly making and selling bath salts and spice.

A judge is allowing Hanks to be released from jail on his own recognizance until his trial in October.

However, Hanks had very little to say when ABC15 confronted him about the charges.

"No comment," Hanks said. 

Court documents show DEA started to investigate Hanks in 2010 after he was accused of working with former police officers Shelly Worthley and her husband, Ronald Worthley

Shelly was with the Salt Lake City Police Department before she and her husband moved to Arizona. Ronald got a job with the Gilbert Police Department. He worked there between 2007 and 2010. 

Court records show Shelly mixed the drugs at her San Tan Valley home. 

Hanks and the couple opened several businesses together selling the drugs. However, the DEA didn’t waste time shutting the Worthleys’ business down.

But last May, Shelly insisted that she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Everything I purchased was through the UK and I made sure it wasn't on a federal ban list," Shelly said.

Court documents reveal emails, lab reports and thousands of dollars worth of cash exchanged between Hanks and Shelly Worthley. The pair is accused of knowing that people were buying their products to get high.

"It was labeled: ‘Not for human consumption,’” Worthley said. “But people want to get high and there is nothing you can do to stop that.”

Worthley is now taking responsibility and is slated for sentencing in October.

"I justified it by saying people are going to get high,” Worthley said. “It was a bad decision. I got caught up in the money. A lot of people were doing it. But it affected my husband and family and I regret it.”

Hanks is not saying much. 

When ABC15 asked him, "Do you know how dangerous those drugs are?” He simply responded, “No comment. Thank you."

Court documents show that the drugs were distributed all over the nation.

ABC15 reached out to the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees the Federal Air Marshal Services, to find out Hanks' history with the department and the status of his employment. ABC15 is waiting to hear back. 

Two other people were convicted in connection to this operation as well. They received probation.