COO accused of stealing $132K in public cash and blowing it on plastic surgery, Disneyland enters plea

A nonprofit government accused of stealing $132,000 in public cash to fund her lavish way of life is being held behind bars.

Amy Knox, who was COO of Hurt Discount Coalition of San Diego, pleaded not responsible to allegedly stealing money for plastic surgical procedures, bank card payments and luxurious holidays to Hawaii and Disneyland.

The 45-year-old faces six felony counts of fraud and misappropriation and faces as much as seven years in jail.

Late Wednesday Knox pleaded not responsible to the fees in San Diego State Supreme Court docket. Her bail was set at $200,000.

On Thursday she remanded in custody on the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry jail facility. Her lawyer, Richard Katzman, didn’t reply to requires remark.

Knox is accused of pilfering tens of hundreds of {dollars} on a high-flying way of life that included shopping for purebred canines, coaching them and taking martial arts lessons.

The previous COO, who additionally glided by the names of Amy Hernandez and Amy Ketchum, allegedly spent one other $30,000 on plastic surgical procedures together with breast implants, breast lifts, a tummy tuck and arm and thigh lifts.

The cash, raised from tax contributions, grants and opioid settlement funds, was meant to be spent on free anti-overdose medicine and fentanyl checks for drug customers within the metropolis.

Knox appeared drawn and drained behind a glass window at Wednesday’s listening to. She is due again in courtroom on Feb. 25 for a bail listening to.

Hurt Discount Coalition CEO Tara Stamos-Buesig instructed the California Put up on Thursday that she’s been receiving threats since Knox’s story went public this week.

“I’ve been receiving tons of threatening cellphone calls,” mentioned Stamos-Buesig. “They’re saying that Amy is harmless and it’s all my fault, and I’m the one which’s dangerous particular person.”

Stamos-Buesig insists she is the whistle blower who introduced Knox’s alleged thefts to the eye of the District Lawyer’s workplace.

She mentioned Knox has deep connection in San Diego’s group of recovering addicts and {that a} man she recognized as Knox’s husband, Jeffrey Knox, is concerned within the metropolis’s biker group.

Property information present Jeffrey Knox with the accused fraudster purchased a 2,900-square-foot luxurious house in San Diego in 2023 for $1,375,000.

Reached by cellphone on Thursday, Jeffery Knox declined to touch upon the case. “I’m not speaking to anyone proper now,” he mentioned.

Stamos-Buesig mentioned her group has been destroyed since she went to the DA along with her considerations about Knox in Could.

Weeks later the County of San Diego canceled two contracts it had awarded the Hurt Discount Coalition that had been value greater than greater than $11 million.

Stamos-Buesig mentioned she’s needed to fireplace her employees and is now dealing with homelessness herself since she’s been unable to pay hire for 2 months.

San Diego District Lawyer Summer season Stephan mentioned in Wednesday’s information convention that Stamos-Buesig’s ideas had been instrumental in launching the investigation into Knox.

Stephan blamed the County for failing to note that Knox had been beforehand charged in San Diego County with taking on $500,000 from a previous employer.

Court docket information present Knox pleaded responsible to felony grand theft fees in that case in 2015 and was sentenced to jail.

San Diego County spokeswoman Tammy Glenn mentioned the county ended all of its contracts with the Hurt Discount Coaltion in June.

“The County takes all studies of fraud, waste and abuse critically,” mentioned Glenn. “County employees referred data to the District Lawyer’s workplace and continues to cooperate with the continuing investigation.”

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David Luna, professor emeritus of political science at San Diego Mesa Faculty and an skilled in native politics, mentioned it the Hurt Discount Middle ought to’ve run it’s personal background examine on Knox.

“The nonprofit management would bear the primary line of accountability right here,” mentioned Luna.

Stamos-Buesig, who employed Knox to work on the Hurt Discount Coalition, mentioned that she knew Knox for years earlier than deciding to rent her.

Stamos-Buesig mentioned Knox disclosed an prior arrest however mentioned it was for a minor theft and that she had since mended her says.

“I assumed she was legit, and it was all on the up-and-up,” Stamos-Buesig mentioned.