District Attorney Summer Stephan slammed county officials for failed checks and balances during a Wednesday press conference about a former nonprofit executive charged with allegedly misappropriating more than $134,000 in public funds.
Refresher: Our Lisa Halverstadt broke the news that Amy Knox, who had managed the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego’s finances, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriation of public money and three felony counts of fraudulent appropriation for allegedly using nonprofit funds for plastic surgeries, high-end clothes, a vacation to Hawaii and more. The criminal charges come nearly eight months after the county cancelled contracts with the nonprofit to distribute overdose reversal drug Narcan and test street drugs in a bid to reduce fentanyl deaths.
Stephan said a 2023 county audit documented significant financial red flags and staffers learned after a background check that Knox had been previously convicted of embezzlement of more than $500,000 from a former employer. Yet the county awarded a second contract to the Harm Reduction Coalition a year later.
“The fact that the checks and balances that exist for a reason failed or were overruled is very troubling,” Stephan said.
In 2025, amid major mismanagement allegations and county contract cancellations, Stephan claimed the county failed to flag potential criminal activity to the District Attorney’s Office – and that county staff seemed fearful about participating in her office’s eventual investigation.
County spokesperson Tammy Glenn pushed back late Wednesday, writing in an email that county officials “referred information to the District Attorney’s Office and continue to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.”
Glenn also wrote that the county takes reports of fraud, waste and abuse seriously – and that it will “continue to examine and strengthen processes and reinforce accountability to ensure transparency and public trust.”
Knox pleaded not guilty during her arraignment in San Diego Superior Court Wednesday. If convicted, she could face seven years in prison.