A 14-year Moniteau School District teacher has been suspended pending the outcome of a state police theft-related investigation.

Wendy J. Taylor, 40, of Donegal Township is accused of using money from a Karns City elementary basketball program for her personal use, including buying food items such as snack cakes and Pringles and sundries like body wash and shaving cream.

She also allegedly paid a cell phone bill and made an automated teller machine withdrawal from the program account.

Police arrived Monday at Moniteau High School with a warrant and arrested Taylor, a special-education teacher. Troopers led her away in handcuffs.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton arraigned her later that day on a felony charge of access device fraud and misdemeanor charges of theft by unlawful taking and theft by failing to make required disposition of funds.

She is free on $10,000 bail, but remains on pretrial supervision. As a condition of her release, she is required to submit to drug testing on Mondays and Fridays.

Taylor's attorney, Joseph Kecskemethy, said Tuesday that he has not seen the criminal complaint and was not prepared to comment on the charges.

According to police, their investigation started Sept. 10 after obtaining a bank account statement for the Karns City elementary basketball program that showed charges “inconsistent with the purpose” of the program.

Taylor ran the youth basketball program for four years, police said. In that role, she was responsible in part for collecting a $72 fee from participating students.

Investigators said the money was meant to be used for “gym rental, insurance, jersey(s), shorts” and other items made payable by checks to “K.C. Elementary Basketball.”

Taylor lives in the Karns City Area School District and is a former school board member there. She served on the board from December 2013 to October 2017. She has three children in the district.

Eric Ritzert, superintendent of the Karns City Area School District, said Monday in an email the program is an “outside organization — it is not run by the school district.”

Trooper Brian Knirnschild spoke to Taylor on Sept. 11, according to charging documents. At the time, she acknowledged the program money was only for the stated purposes and nothing else, such as cell phone or vehicle expenses and other items.

She told investigators she would bring in bank statements for the previous calendar year — but she never did, police said.

In all, documents said, police linked Taylor to a combined $673.30 in unauthorized purchases and an ATM withdrawal between Aug. 1 and 27 of this year.

The stores where purchases were made included Walmart, Dollar General, Dunkin' Donuts and Staples. In addition, police said, she made a $300 payment to AT&T for a cell phone bill. Knirnschild said the investigation is ongoing. Police are “looking into the past” years when Taylor was running the program. He declined further comment.

Moniteau Superintendent Sean Arney said police arrived at the high school Monday morning. Taylor was in a classroom at the time.

“(Police) informed me there are charges against Mrs. Taylor and they need to take legal action against her,” he said Tuesday.

The arrest was made in the high school office.

Arney said Taylor is suspended with pay pending the outcome of the police investigation.

“We're working with the state police and our solicitor to make sure the district is protected, and we also respect the rights of Mrs. Taylor until the investigation is complete and we can move forward,” Arney said.

Taylor has also been suspended from her supplemental position as an assistant coach for the Karns City junior high girls' basketball program, which is currently not in season.

Tom Breth, Karns City School Board solicitor, said that program is not affiliated with the elementary basketball program.

“Karns City Area School District is working with the state police,” Breth said, “and if there's any information they need for their investigation, the school district will fully cooperate.”