PHOENIX — A Phoenix firefighter is facing multiple felony charges for threatening a man and then climbing onto his house, clogging drainpipes, and drilling into the roof to flood the victim’s home.
Gregory Knauss’ recent arrest adds to his criminal record, which includes two previous convictions in Maricopa County, according to court documents obtained by ABC15.
The court ordered Knauss, who’s been a Phoenix firefighter since 2005, to wear an ankle monitor after his arrest on February 27.
“I do believe an ankle monitor is necessary to protect the safety of the alleged victims in this case,” a judge said at his initial appearance.
The arrest stems from a dispute with a man who said he was going to tell Knauss’ wife about allegations of him being “intimately involved” with the victim’s girlfriend, who was the Knauss’s nanny, according to a police probable cause statement.
But a source with knowledge of the case told ABC15 the allegations involve the victim calling out Knauss for harassing his girlfriend and not an affair.
Days before damaging the victim’s townhome, court records show Knauss threatened him with the following text message.
“I know where you live and where you work. If you don’t think I will destroy your life, I don’t think you know who I am.”
Knauss then went to the victim’s Peoria home on January 23 and caused more than $25,000 in damages.
His jail booking paperwork shows he’s had two previous convictions for attempted theft/forgery and extreme DUI.
Knauss pleaded guilty to attempted theft and possession of a forgery device after he was accused of trying to sell another person’s motorcycle on Craigslist in 2011.
An undercover detective responded to the online add and said that Knauss lied about how he came into possession of the motorcycle and that he attempted to alter information about the title application, records show.
A judge sentenced Knauss to two years of unsupervised probation.
During the criminal case involving the motorcycle, Knauss’s defense attorney sent prosecutors a letter asking for leniency, highlighting that the firefighter had no previous felony convictions – only a misdemeanor DUI from five years earlier.
The defense attorney also asked prosecutors to consider how a felony conviction would impact his career.
A request for comment emailed to Knauss’ current defense attorney has not been returned.
The Phoenix Fire Department sent the following statement regarding the arrest:
"The Phoenix Fire Department is aware of previous allegations and issues related to Mr. Knauss. Each issue was investigated and managed consistent with our process and when warranted the appropriate level of discipline was given. Regarding the most recent allegations, we are actively investigating and managing through the process."
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
