WEDNESDAY, September 23, 2026|
Photo – Amanda Knotwell (center) with Steinley Cup winners and participants- Bigfoot99 file photo
Former Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Amanda Knotwell has taken a plea deal of one year in jail and three years of probation for stealing more than $77,000 from the organization she led.
According to Saratoga Police Chief John Moore’s written affidavit, Saratoga resident Amanda Knotwell admitted to embezzling $77,140 from the Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce between March 2022 and December 2025. Knotwell allegedly made unauthorized bank transfers and wrote checks to herself from the Chamber’s bank accounts.
After being fired from the organization for an unspecified reason in early January, Knotwell approached interim Chamber CEO Stacy Crimmins and confessed to stealing the money while employed by the Chamber. Crimmins told police that Knotwell justified the theft by saying that her vehicle was going to be repossessed and that she needed to buy groceries for her children. Knotwell offered to enter into a civil contract with the Chamber of Commerce to repay the stolen money.
On February 6th, Carbon County Circuit Court Judge Susan Stipe issued a warrant for Knotwell’s arrest. Four days later, the former Chamber of Commerce CEO was taken into custody and charged with one count of theft. She was released on $10,000 bond later that day and ordered not to contact anyone from the Chamber.
Knotwell appeared in Carbon County Circuit Court later in February, where her case was remanded to District Court. There she pleaded not guilty, prompting a trial. However, before the trial began, Carbon County Attorney Sarah Chavez‑Harkins offered the former Chamber of Commerce CEO a plea deal. If Knotwell pleads guilty to theft, Attorney Chavez‑Harkins would recommend a lesser sentence of one year in the Carbon County Detention Center with credit for time served. Afterward, Knotwell would serve three years of supervised probation. She accepted the deal, avoiding a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
