Former Cherokee Firefighter Charged With Theft

WOODSTOCK, GA -- Another Cherokee County firefighter has been sacked following his arrest by law enforcement officials.

Matthew Knowles, 30, of Woodstock, was arrested Wednesday and charged with misdemeanor theft by taking, the Cherokee Sheriff's Office said.

Lt. Jay Baker, spokesperson with the agency, said Cherokee County fire requested a criminal investigation after its own internal probe revealed missing money from the "house dues" fund at Fire Station No. 1 on Bells Ferry Road in Acworth.

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House dues are the personal funds firefighters contribute to cover miscellaneous expenses such as coffee. During an interview, Knowles admitted to "entering a locker where the house dues were stored and removing $20," Baker said.

Knowles was booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center and was released on a $720 bond. A three-year veteran of Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services, Knowles has been terminated from the agency, Baker added.

Knowles' arrest comes just days after former Cherokee firefighter Clay Gridley, 33, was charged with making a false 911 call.

Gridley, who resides in Canton, was a seven-year member of the agency before he was fired after allegedly reporting a non-emergency, false smoke odor investigation.

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Photo: Matthew Knowles. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff's Office