BELFAST — A Freedom man’s jail house phone call resulted in a new felony charge against him, according to Lieutenant Jason Trundy, of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office. 

Brian W. Knight, 40, was arrested April 15 after the Waldo County Sheriff's Department received a call from Fairfield Police stating they had probable cause to arrest Knight for domestic violence terrorizing, according to Trundy.

Fairfield police also told the Waldo Count Sheriff's Office they had reason to believe Knight was using his residence to grow marijuana, he said.

When deputies arrived at the Freedom residence, arresting Knight on behalf of Fairfield police, deputies reported a strong odor of marijuana. Another person residing at the address gave deputies consent to search the residence.

Trundy said deputies found and removed 85 marijuana plants from the residence, leading to a charge of cultivating marijuana.

A short time later the woman whom Knight is accused of terrorizing reported that Knight had called her from jail in an effort to get the woman to change her story, said Trundy. Waldo County Sheriff's deputies pulled the recorded phone call, which confirmed the woman's complaint.

While any contact with an accuser/victim is a misdemeanor violation of conditions of release, because Knight allegedly contacted the woman in an attempt to intimidate or coerce her into changing her story elevates the crime to tampering with a witness and results in felony charges, police said.

As of April 23, Knight was being held at Two Bridges Jail. He is scheduled to appear in District Court May 6 to answer to the domestic violence terrorizing charge. Knight is scheduled to appear in Superior Court June 26 to face charges of marijuana cultivation, tampering with a victim and violating conditions of release.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com