Prosecutors now believe Amy Knox, ex-chief operating officer of the nonprofit Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego, misappropriated at least $210,000 in public funds for everything from plastic surgeries to family vacations – more than they originally alleged. The DA’s Office is also trying to account for another $600,000 that at least initially landed in Knox’s bank accounts.
“We find more and more money almost every day,” said Deputy District Attorney Matthew Dix, who argued Knox could be a flight risk if released from jail.
After hearing those updates, Superior Court Judge Melinda J. Lasater on Wednesday increased Knox’s bail to $500,000. Another judge previously set Knox’s bail at $200,000. Her attorney Richard Katzman argued Wednesday has argued she is a committed community volunteer and mother who would not flee.
Knox has pleaded not guilty and for now remains in jail.
The county last June cancelled contracts with the nonprofit to deploy opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone and to test street drugs for deadly fentanyl. It did not flag Knox’s past prison sentence for embezzlement before awarding the initial contract.
More new discoveries: Since charging Knox earlier this month, Dix said prosecutors have found Harm Reduction Coalition employees being paid “that didn’t work there or weren’t working full time.”
Dix said investigators also discovered in the last week that Knox, who until recently led the board of county addiction treatment provider Crossroads Foundation, filed paperwork suggesting she was the CEO of the nonprofit rather than a board member. Dix suggested this was an attempt to access money flowing to the nonprofit, which in 2024 inked a county contract worth up to $11.5 million over five years.
“This is more public money she had access to,” Dix said.
The Union-Tribune shared more details on the hearing in a Wednesday story.
What the county and Crossroads say: County spokesperson Tammy Glenn said the county is now closely monitoring Crossroads’ residential addiction treatment contract. Glenn said county staff have also verified with the nonprofit that Knox is “no longer associated with the organization” and “did not have access to its finances.”
Candice Reed, a spokesperson for the Crossroads Foundation, said Crossroads took immediate steps to remove Knox from its board, including updating state filings to make it official.
“Since this matter was brought to our attention, we’ve taken immediate action to terminate (Knox’s) appointment and continue to confirm via our audit processes that there was no misuse of Crossroads’ finances,” Reed wrote.
County’s top bureaucrat responds: As we reported earlier this week, county supervisors had tough questions for Ebony Shelton, the county’s top administrator and District Attorney Summer Stephan has alleged that the county failed to flag potential criminal activity to her office.
Voice asked Shelton to respond. Here’s her full statement:
“The county is committed to making sure all employees and contractors act ethically. We have strong controls and procedures to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. Those procedures prompted staff to report issues, and the county immediately ended all contracts in June 2025. We appreciate the district attorney, her team, and the employees who reported concerns, and staff continue to coordinate with the DA’s team. Their actions helped bring these alleged serious violations to light. The county is coordinating with community partners to support life-saving harm reduction efforts.
We take these matters seriously and consistently review our controls closely to strengthen our processes and reinforce accountability. Our goal is to maintain transparency and protect public trust. We encourage employees and the public to report concerns through the county’s Ethics Hotline/website or the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit. Reports can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”