A Cherokee County firefighter was arrested and fired after admitting to stealing $20 from his firehouse, the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.
Matthew Knowles, 30, of Woodstock, was charged with theft and released from jail after posting $720 bond Wednesday afternoon, Lt. Jay Baker said.
Knowles was the second Cherokee firefighter charged with a crime during the past week, and both were fired from the department. Last week, veteran firefighter Clay Gridley was arrested after he allegedly made a prank call to 911 to interrupt co-workers having dinner at a restaurant, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. In the most recent case, deputies were asked to investigate after money was reported missing from the “house dues” at Fire Station 1 on Bells Ferry Road, Baker said. House dues are funds collected by firefighters to cover expenses, such as coffee, in the fire station.