TORRINGTON – Former Goshen County Attorney Gregory Knudsen pleaded no contest to two charges of felony third-degree sexual assault and three charges of misdemeanor stalking in the Eighth Judicial District Court on Monday, Oct. 26. Knudsen, his defense attorney, P. Craig Silva, prosecuting attorney Kevin Taheri and Judge Dawnessa Snyder appeared by video in the Goshen County District Courtroom.
Before the court would accept any pleas, Snyder warned Knudsen a conviction for a felony would prohibit him from possessing firearms, holding public office and voting. A conviction for a sexually based offense would also require Knudsen to register with the Wyoming Sex Offender Registry.
Knudsen was previously charged with ten criminal counts – five counts of stalking, one count of unlawful contact, one count of burglary and three counts of third-degree sexual assault. A plea agreement signed by Taheri, Silva and Knudsen declared Knudsen would plead no contest to two counts of third-degree sexual assault and three counts of stalking. The state would then dismiss the remaining counts against Knudsen.
In the agreement, Knudsen would be sentenced “to a suspended penitentiary sentence of 48 months or four years to 72 months or six years on the felony counts.” The plea agreement continued, “There will be a six-month suspended sentence as to each remaining misdemeanor counts. The felony and misdemeanor sentences shall run concurrently.”
Snyder accepted Knudsen’s no contest pleas, but professed the court is not part of the agreement, and any decisions for sentencing would be made by the court, regardless of the terms of the plea agreement. Snyder told Knudsen, Silva and Taheri the court would be taking the conditions of the plea agreement under advisement.
Snyder directed Knudsen to contact probation immediately after the hearing. Snyder ordered a pre-sentence investigation through probation and ordered Knudsen to be back in approximately 90 days for sentencing. Snyder noted Knudsen would have to appear for sentencing in person, before the court. The sentencing date has not been set as of press time.
