Baltimore Man Pays $1M for Slashing Firehose During 2015 Riots

Gregory Lee Butler, Jr., a 22-year-old Baltimore man also known as Greg Baly, has been ordered to pay $1 million in restitution for slashing a firehose during the violent civil unrest that engulfed Baltimore on April 27, 2015. The act directly hindered firefighters battling a raging blaze at the CVS Pharmacy on Pennsylvania Avenue, putting lives and property at greater risk as chaos consumed the city.

U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz handed down the sentence, which includes 250 hours of community service and three years of supervised release, after giving Butler credit for five weeks already served. The judge’s ruling follows Butler’s guilty plea to impeding firefighters during a civil disturbance—a crime that federal prosecutors say endangered first responders and allowed the fire to spread unchecked for critical minutes.

On the evening of April 27, 2015, rioters stormed the area around Pennsylvania Avenue and West North Avenue. At approximately 6:30 p.m., the Baltimore City Fire Department responded to a fire at the CVS Pharmacy located at 2509 Pennsylvania Avenue. As firefighters deployed hoses to combat the flames and protect personnel near the structure, Butler admitted to stabbing the main hose twice with a knife near the hydrant connection. The high-pressure water line burst, rendering it useless and delaying suppression efforts.

Butler’s sabotage came at a moment when multiple fire units were already stretched thin. The severed hose cut off a vital water supply, allowing the fire to intensify. Investigators say the CVS was looted and gutted in the chaos, with damages reaching millions. His actions didn’t stop the blaze—but they made it harder to control, endangering both firefighters and nearby buildings.

Butler is one of several individuals prosecuted in connection with the 2015 Baltimore riots. Trevon Green, 23, pleaded guilty to arson of a food market and was sentenced to 70 months. Darius Raymond Stewart, 22, got five years for torching a liquor store. Donta Betts, 20, received 15 years for building a destructive device during the riots and a separate gun charge. Raymon Carter, 25, admitted to rioting and the CVS arson, earning four years in prison and $500,000 in restitution.

The investigation into the arsons of April 27, 2015, remains open. The ATF continues to offer a $10,000 reward for tips leading to arrests and convictions. United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Baltimore Police, Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their relentless work. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Selden and Matthew J. Maddox prosecuted the case.