JACKSON TWP — A former township clerk is accused of failing to deposit $300 into another employee's Christmas Club bank account.

Instead, Shirl Mawhinney allegedly deposited the money into her own bank account, Jackson Township police said.

Police on Thursday arrested Mawhinney, 37, at her Gram Terrace home in Muddy Creek Township, where she has worked as Muddy Creek's earned income tax collector since 2001

District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Mawhinney on misdemeanor counts of theft, failure to make required disposition of funds and receiving stolen property.

The defendant, who is free after posting bail on $1,500 bond, did not return a telephone message Friday.

Jackson Township hired Mawhinney in 1997 as an administrative assistant. She most recently worked as assistant to the manager, until supervisors fired her Oct. 13.

"The board lost confidence in the performance of her duties," said township manager Rich Crown, declining further comment about the firing.

But Crown noted the termination had nothing to do with the current criminal case.

Among Mawhinney's duties was to handle employees' Christmas Club accounts, including preparing checks and making payroll account deposits, according to court documents.

But Valerie Schilling, another secretary, on Oct. 27 called police to report a "discrepancy" in her account, according to court documents.

Schilling told police that bank records showed a $300 shortfall from what should have been deposited in her Christmas Club account for the year.

Police reviewed township financial records and, after obtaining a search warrant, examined related account information at the First National Bank of Portersville.

"Abrief review of the documents reveals that Mawhinney deposited $1,050 between the dates of Feb. 10 and Sept. 28 into her account,"documents said, "and failed to deposit $300 into Schilling's account."

Mawhinney's preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 20.

Muddy Creek Township Supervisor Annette Sudano on Friday was surprised to learn of Mawhinney's arrest. She declined to comment about the defendant's employment.

Meanwhile, no other financial irregularities have turned up in any of the other Jackson Township accounts; however, Crown said officials plan to "look more closely and more in-depth"at all funds during the annual audit of financial records.

"Our internal controls are in place,"he said, "and the public trust should remain high."