KITTANNING — Two Armstrong County woman were arrested for allegedly embezzling more than $350,000 from a Worthington pipeline company.

Amy L. Lloyd, 41, of Kittanning and Victoria L. Keys, 52, of Adrian surrendered to state police on Wednesday after learning that there were warrants for their arrests.

Trooper Bryan Ripple of the Organized Crime Task Force said the defendants stole money from Toy Contractors in 2013 and 2014.

Lloyd was employed in the accounts receivable office and Keys worked in the accounts payable office at the firm that specializes in transmission and distributionpipeline systems in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

The women were fired from the company on Nov. 6 after an internal review of financial records uncovered book keeping discrepancies.

During the 22-month period beginning in January 2013, Lloyd and Keys provided themselves with unauthorized pay raises and payments from petty cash, according to court documents.

The pair also allegedly made unapproved personal purchases using the company’s credit card and took money through fraudulent reimbursement payments.

Lloyd is accused of cashing 106 unauthorized business checks totaling $168,416.94 and making unauthorized purchases using the company’s Chase and Sam’s Club credit cards and three fuel cards.

Police said Keys cashed 28 unauthorized company checks totaling $36,324.43 and made improper credit card and fuel card purchased totaling $22,891.05.

Additionally, Lloyd and Keys awarded themselves unapproved pay raises of $2,504.14 and $2,628.90, respectively.

Lloyd also pocketed $9,550 in unauthorized reimbursement payments, documents said. Keys is accused of taking $9,350 in similar payments.

District Judge James Owen on Wednesday arraigned both defendants on one felony count each of forgery, access device fraud and conspiracy, and four counts each of theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception.

Lloyd also is charged with a felony count of unlawful use of a computer.

The suspects both appeared at Owen’s office in Kittanning accompanied by their husbands and lawyers.

Following Wednesday’s proceedings, attorney Phillip DiLucente of Pittsburgh, who is representing Lloyd, said his client denies wrongdoing and is anxious to defend herself in court. He dismissed the matter as a case of “accounting inconsistencies,” not theft.

He added that any pay raises Lloyd got, were deserved.

“She was a diligent, hardworking and long-term employee,” DiLucente said. “In any organization, those attributes are always rewarded.”

Timothy Lyon, Keys’ attorney, declined to comment.

Police said Keys has cooperated in their investigation that began last fall when Toy Contractors’ new vice president discovered the company was having problems making payroll.

That finding led to the financial review, which eventually led to the criminal case.

Unlike her accomplice, Lloyd has made no statement to police, Ripple said outside the courtroom.

Most of the defendants’ alleged unauthorized purchases using the company’s Sam’s Club card were for groceries, Ripple said. Clothing represented “the“bulk” of the other credit card purchases, he noted.

He declined to further discuss the charges but admitted he was somewhat surprised that the suspected theft went on so long.

“These cases happen all the time,” Ripple said, “and one of our first questions is: how does that amount of money come up missing?”

A telephone call to Lee Toy, company president, was not returned Wednesday.