Man Admits to Cutting Fire Hose During Baltimore Riots

Baltimore, MD — A Baltimore man pleaded guilty Wednesday to preventing firefighters from doing their job during the April 2015 riots as the CVS burned on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Gregory Lee Butler Jr., aka "Greg Baly," 22, admitted that he used a knife to puncture the firehose twice, making it unusable, according to his plea agreement. The hose was connected to a hydrant near Pennsylvania at West North avenues.

Baltimore City Fire Department officials had attached the hose around 6:30 p.m. on April 27, 2015, when they were responding to a fire at the CVS in the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, officials said.

Butler pleaded guilty to the federal charge of obstruction of firefighters during a civil disorder, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Sentencing in Butler's case is set for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20.