Nonprofit exec accused of stealing funds

Amy Knox spent part of $130,000 on plastic surgery, San Diego County D.A. alleges.

- BY CLARA HARTER

A former San Diego nonprofit executive has been accused of stealing more than $130,000 in public money intended to stop fentanyl overdose deaths and spending it on plastic surgeries, luxury trips to Hawaii and Disneyland, purebred dogs and more, authorities said.

At least $30,000 of the embezzled funds was spent on personal cosmetic procedures, including breast implants and a lift, arm and thigh lifts and a tummy tuck, according to the San Diego County district attorney's office, which investigated the case.

Amy Knox, the former chief operating officer of Harm Reduction-SD, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriating public money and three felony counts of embezzlement. She pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

The alleged scandal also raises concerns about oversight measures in place at the county of San Diego, which approved the contracts Knox managed, Dist. Atty. Summer Stephan said at a news conference Wednesday.

Knox was previously convicted of stealing more than $500,000 from a former employer but was allowed to oversee $5.8 million in grant funding provided by the county, Stephan said. Part of this funding came from settlements with corporations implicated in the opioid epidemic.

“This defendant had a history of stealing large amounts of money from her employer and violating their trust, yet she was still able to be in charge of millions of dollars in public funds,” Stephan said. “Checks and balances exist for a reason, yet there was no evidence of a background check.