A former LeCroy Career Technical Center employee facing 18 charges involving theft of property has been denied acceptance for a pre-trial diversion program.

Temika Varner Winters, 37, of Clanton, the former bookkeeper at the LeCroy Career Technical Center, allegedly stole nearly $50,000 from the school over an 18-month period.

Winters filed an application for a pre-trial diversion program in April, but her application was denied, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney for the 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office C.J. Robinson.

Winters’ application for the program was reviewed by a committee and would have required the approval of the DA’s office, the victims and law enforcement before she could be approved for the program.

If Winters had been approved for the program, she would have been able to participate in the program for nine months to a year that allowed her charges to be dismissed by following court orders and paying all restitution in the case.

Robinson said Winters’ next court appearance will be July 28.

Winters was originally arrested Nov. 26 after the District Attorney’s Office conducted an investigation of suspected theft at the request of the Clanton Police Department due to a conflict of interest.

Robinson said at the time of her arrest Winters’ husband was an officer with the Clanton Police Department so the district attorney’s office brought in a special investigator to look into the case.

The investigation started after an employee at LeCroy noticed some unusual accounting practices.

Winters worked for the Chilton County Board of Education for 15 years.

At the time of her arrest, Robinson said in this particular case, forged instruments referred to checks.

Winters was taken to the Chilton County Jail on Nov. 26 with a $100,000 bond.

She has since been released from jail on bond, and was indicted Feb. 14 by the grand jury.

The defense attorney representing Winters in the case declined to comment on Wednesday regarding his client.