San Diego, CA
Woman accused of embezzling San Diego County grant money to fund lavish lifestyle
The former chief operating officer of a nonprofit that contracted with San Diego County to distribute the anti-overdose medication Narcan has been charged with embezzling funds from the organization.
Amy Knox, ex-COO of Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego, is accused of taking over $130,000 in public funds to pay for personal expenses such as plastic surgery procedures, trips to Hawaii and Disneyland, and payments for her SDG&E and credit card bills.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the funds she’s accused of taking were part of over $4 million awarded to the nonprofit for its efforts to prevent and reduce fentanyl deaths within San Diego County.
Knox, 45, “controlled the nonprofit’s finances and was designated as the contract administrator for the county contracts,” the D.A.’s Office said.
She faces up to seven years in state prison if convicted of charges that include felony counts of misappropriating public funds and embezzlement.
Knox was arrested last week and after pleading not guilty to the charges on Wednesday, she remains in custody on $200,000 bail, pending a bail review hearing set for next week.
In a news conference announcing the charges, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said Knox was previously charged in San Diego County with taking over $500,000 from a prior employer. Court records show she pleaded guilty to felony grand theft charges in that case and was sentenced to prison in 2015.
Despite her criminal history, Stephan said Knox was able to attain her position in the organization without a background check.
After concerns were raised by county staff, a background check was ultimately conducted and revealed the conviction, yet around a year later, the nonprofit was awarded another contract from the county in August of 2024, Stephan said.
Stephan said Wednesday that it was “deeply concerning that the checks and balances that are supposed to safeguard the county’s large budget and trust funds failed in this case.”
Harm Reduction Coalition’s CEO, Tara Stamos-Buesig, reported suspicions regarding Knox to the District Attorney’s Office last May, Stephan said. The county canceled its contracts for Narcan distribution and drug testing with the nonprofit the following month.
Stephan said that after the contracts were terminated, there was no referrals to the D.A.’s Office for potential criminal investigation, as had been done in previous instances of suspected fraud or wrongdoing by public officials.
County officials did not respond to a request for comment regarding Stephan’s assertions.
Stephan said an investigation remained ongoing into “aspects in the county as to why and how this happened,” as well as whether anyone else was involved in the fraud.
She also alleged there has “been an effort to remove checks and balances when it comes to contracts” and that employees have recently left the county “with agreements to be silent.”
The D.A.’s Office urged any county employees with information of suspected malfeasance to report concerns to prosecutors and said that anyone making reports would be protected under whistleblower laws.
Stephan said in a statement, “Whistleblowing is an important part of public safety. It is often the first line of defense against corruption and misuse of public funds.”
San Diego taxpayers are subsidizing the short-term rental industry’s trash collection under the People’s Ordinance. The 2017 letter from the city attorney to Councilmember Zapf is crystal clear: transient occupancy (rentals under 30 days) generates “nonresidential refuse.”
The city is prohibited from providing free weekly collection to these units. Yet, thousands of whole-home STRs continue to receive curbside service at taxpayer expense. Measure B (2022) modernized funding but left the core definition intact — transient rentals remain ineligible for city residential service.
Requiring owners to arrange and pay for private hauling would shift the full cost off the general fund. With roughly 7,954 active licenses, and residential collection costing about $520 per unit annually, the city could save approximately $4.1 million a year. That money could repair streets, fund public safety or lower taxes for actual residents. Enforce the ordinance as written.
— Gary Wonacott, San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — As the Muslim community prepares to celebrate Eid al-Adha next month, a San Diego teenager is working to bring comfort and joy to children impacted by the recent tragedy at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Seventeen-year-old Sarah Abdin spent the past week fundraising, shopping and assembling nearly 100 Eid goodie bags for students at the mosque’s elementary school.
While many teenagers are focused on final exams, Abdin said she spent some nights working until 2 a.m. to make sure every bag was ready in time for the school’s upcoming graduation celebration.
The project was inspired by the recent shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where children were present during the incident. Abdin, who attended the mosque as a child, said hearing about what students experienced motivated her to take action.
Each bag contains a variety of treats, activities and gifts intended to help children celebrate Eid, one of the most important holidays in Islam.
Abdin said community members quickly rallied behind the effort, helping raise funds and support the project. After days of shopping and preparation, she and her sister spent several hours assembling the bags ahead of delivery.
The goodie bags are expected to be distributed during the elementary school’s graduation festivities in early June.
Abdin said she hopes the gesture serves as a reminder that the children are surrounded by a community that cares about them and stands beside them during difficult times.
The fundraising effort received widespread support, helping cover the cost of the goodie bags and allowing organizers to expand their reach to more students.
How interesting that Donald Trump is deporting Brown people who pay taxes and contribute to our economy (though they will never reap any benefits from those taxes) and instead is using our tax money to import and set up South Africans (none of whom are anything but White) who have never contributed to our economy. Could skin color perhaps have something to do with this policy?
— Nita Herpolsheimer, San Diego
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