Husband of Former County Contractor Executive Pleads Not Guilty to 15 Felony Counts

Jeff Knox, the husband of a former top executive at a San Diego County contractor, pleaded not guilty Thursday to 15 felony counts, adding a new defendant to a case that has centered on his wife's alleged misuse of public money.

The charges against Knox include theft, embezzlement, receiving stolen property, mortgage fraud and filing fraudulent tax returns. He is married to Amy Knox, the former chief operating officer of the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego.

A spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office said the counts involve embezzlement from the former county contractor, theft of vacation packages, filing false tax returns, and obtaining an allegedly fraudulent loan for the couple's home in Alpine. If convicted on all counts, Knox could face nearly 13 years in prison, spokesperson Tanya Sierra said in an email.

At the arraignment, Superior Court Judge Laura Duffy ordered Knox not to speak with his wife about the criminal case and not to perform work that involves other people's finances, among other conditions. Knox appeared in court without having been arrested. He agreed to the conditions and will be assigned a public defender.

Jeff Knox had previously stood beside his wife in court as she faced her own accusations. Prosecutors allege she spent public money on items ranging from plastic surgery to purebred dogs, forged an invoice sent to the county, committed mortgage fraud, and took trips that were supposed to be auctioned to benefit another nonprofit she once helped lead. Amy Knox has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Those initial charges came months after she left the Harm Reduction Coalition. Until June 2025, the organization held two county contracts to distribute an opioid overdose reversal drug and to test drugs for deadly fentanyl. Amy Knox had earlier served prison time for embezzlement, a fact county officials knew before awarding the nonprofit its second contract in 2024.

Gary Gibson, the attorney representing Amy Knox, said his client is upset that District Attorney Summer Stephan's office brought charges against her husband. He questioned the validity of the case against Jeff Knox.

"Ms. Knox is disappointed that the District Attorney's Office chose to charge her husband on thin and nonexistent charges in order to force a resolution in her case," Gibson said. He added that negotiations toward a global resolution are ongoing.

The District Attorney's Office declined to comment further on the case.