CRANBERRY TWP — A former employee of a township law firm Friday waived to court charges that she allegedly stole $25,764 from the company.

The Linn Law Group reported about a year ago that Amanda D. Coats, 36, of Herminie, Westmoreland County, had allegedly been issuing herself excessive paychecks, according to court records.

Coats was hired in 2014 to provide accounting services for the firm. As part of the job she was given signer power for the firm’s financial accounts.

She agreed to be paid $20 per hour for 16 hours per week, though her rate and number of hours were later adjusted when she agreed to added responsibilities on a temporary basis, according to records.

Police allege that during the one-and-a-half years she worked there, she routinely paid herself about three times the amount that the company had agreed to pay her. These overpayments added up to $25,764.

According to court papers, when the owner discovered how much she was being paid in September 2015, he texted her to ask about it. She allegedly responded that it was a technical error, but then she never returned to work and didn’t answer calls from the company.

Coats told police that the matter was just a misunderstanding when approached in October 2015. She also turned over to police storage devices and documents that she still had at her house.

She is facing felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property charges. She was released on her own recognizance after being arraigned in June.