Wichita ? A former court worker was accused of embezzling more than $25,000 from bond payments made to the court by criminal defendants.

Deidre Cole, 38, was charged Thursday as several of her co-workers from the court clerk’s office came to watch the proceedings. Some wept as the charges were read.

Under state sentencing guidelines, two years of probation is the recommended sentence for such nonviolent crimes committed by a first offender, Dist. Atty. Nola Foulston said.

Upon conviction, prosecutors could also seek a fine of up to $100,000 and restitution of the stolen money, Deputy Dist. Atty. Kevin O’Connor said.

The criminal complaint against Cole covers a period from September 2001 to July 2003.

The money she is accused of taking was bond money collected from people who had been arrested on warrants in Sedgwick County for crimes they were accused of elsewhere in the state, Foulston said.

The money was supposed to have been sent to the counties where the original charges were filed, she said.

Sedgwick County Sheriff Gary Steed has said the loss was thought to be between $80,000 and $100,000.

The bond money is collected to ensure that a defendant will show up for scheduled court proceedings. If a defendant attends all the proceedings, the bond money is refundable.

Cole, who managed the court clerk’s criminal division, was in charge of the department responsible for handling the money. She resigned Monday after nine years as a state employee.

Judge William “Buck” Lyle scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for Sept. 11. He ordered Cole released on a $10,000 “own recognizance” bond, meaning that she won’t have to pay any money unless she fails to appear for court proceedings.

Lyle, a retired judge from Reno County, was brought in to hear Cole’s case to avoid any potential conflict of interest because she was an employee in the Sedgwick County Courthouse.