HOLLIDAYSBURG - A secretary in the Blair County Sheriff's Department has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $6,000 from the department's gun permit account, state police at Hollidaysburg said Tuesday.

The sheriff's department issues thousands of dollars worth of gun permits annually, and police have charged that Diane Lynn Wilt, 51, of 537 E. Main St., Roaring Spring, allegedly came up with a scheme in which she skimmed cash and checks from the daily deposits of money made by the department.

The 10-month investigation included reviewing 42 sheriff's department deposits between April and September 2008, court documents state. More than $6,100 in cash and checks are missing from 40 of the 42 deposits.

Wilt has an unlisted telephone number and could not be reached Tuesday.

She was arraigned Monday before Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner and released on $100,000 unsecured bail.

On Feb. 1, 2008, Wilt and her husband were facing mortgage foreclosure and owed $80,323 to the lending institution, arrest papers state.

Wilt, who has worked for the county for 11 years, was interviewed by police and said, "I don't know where the missing money went. ... I don't know who would take the money," according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Wilt had "exclusive control" over the department's deposits, making 83 percent of them, police said.

No action yet has been taken to suspend or fire Wilt from her job, but her bail conditions state that she should avoid contact with the sheriff's department.

Blair County Commissioners Chairman Terry Tomassetti said Wilt's employment status will be a matter of discussion between the county and union officials. Sheriff employees are members of the United Mine Workers of America.

"We consider this to be a very serious matter. The accusations are significant," Tomassetti said.

Aigner has scheduled a preliminary hearing for Wilt to begin at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The lead investigator into the alleged theft of funds is Trooper Craig Grassmyer of the Hollidaysburg barracks, who said he was called into the case Jan. 6.

Wilt, who presently works in the sheriff's warrant office, used an embezzlement scheme called "lapping" to take the money, court documents state. She would allegedly steal money from a deposit and delay making the deposit until the amount she stole could be made up using money from another deposit.

County Finance Director Timothy B. Brown performed the initial investigation when Sheriff Larry D. Field said two deposits by his department never were made. Brown said he could not comment on the theft because it was an ongoing investigation.

Field, who is retiring as sheriff at the end of the year, was not available for comment Tuesday.

Wilt is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make disposition of funds.

Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.