Former San Diego Nonprofit COO Charged with Misappropriating Public Funds for Personal Expenses

Amy Knox, the former chief operating officer of the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego (HRCSD), has been arrested and charged with multiple felony counts related to the alleged misappropriation of over $134,000 in public funds. The charges include three counts of misappropriation of public money and three counts of fraudulent appropriation as reported by Voice of San Diego.

Details of the Alleged Misuse of Funds

The investigation, led by the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, revealed that Knox allegedly used HRCSD funds for personal expenses, including plastic surgeries totaling $30,000 – specifically breast implants, lifts, and a tummy tuck. Additional alleged expenditures included over $10,200 for San Diego Gas & Electric bills and nearly $94,000 in credit card payments according to court documents.

An arrest warrant filed in San Diego Superior Court detailed that the credit card payments covered a range of personal purchases, such as trips to Hawaii and Disneyland, high-end clothing and cosmetics, streaming service subscriptions, home improvements, purebred dogs and training, and martial arts classes as outlined in the Voice of San Diego report.

Prior Embezzlement Conviction

This is not Knox’s first encounter with embezzlement charges. In 2014, she was convicted and sentenced to four years in state prison for embezzlement related to her position as chief financial officer at a National City construction company. Investigators found the company lost over $500,000 over three years starting in 2011 as detailed by Voice of San Diego. She also pleaded guilty to two counts of felony grand theft in 2015 after fraudulently using a company American Express card, resulting in $3,256 in losses.

Harm Reduction Coalition and County Contracts

Knox’s alleged actions occurred even as she managed the finances of the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego, a nonprofit that previously held contracts with the county to distribute naloxone (Narcan) and test street drugs to prevent fentanyl overdoses. The county terminated these contracts in June, citing “convenience” as the reason as reported by Voice of San Diego.

Tara Stamos, the CEO of HRCSD, approached the District Attorney’s Office after noticing suspicious withdrawals from the organization’s accounts. Stamos stated that the alleged actions have harmed the community and impeded the organization’s ability to address the overdose crisis according to a statement provided to Voice of San Diego.

County Vetting Procedures

Following the revelations, questions were raised about the county’s vetting procedures for high-level staff of contracted organizations. A county spokesperson stated that the county requires contractors to have criminal background check policies in place, but the responsibility for conducting those checks lies with the contractor as reported by Voice of San Diego. Stamos indicated that Knox’s prior conviction did not appear in the organization’s background checks.

Current Status and Continued Naloxone Distribution

Knox is scheduled to appear in Superior Court on Wednesday. The District Attorney’s Office has argued for a $250,000 bail amount, citing her past conviction and the substantial alleged theft. The county has since awarded new contracts to other organizations to continue distributing naloxone, ensuring continued access to the life-saving drug as stated by a county spokesperson in Voice of San Diego.

The Harm Reduction Coalition Of San Diego County has 3013 likes on Facebook according to their Facebook page. In 2023, the organization reported revenue of $2.37M and expenses of $1.86M according to ProPublica. Tara Stamos Buesig (Executive Director) earned $157,909 and Amy Knox (Secretary/CFO) earned $71,650 in 2023 according to ProPublica.