An employee of the Lauderdale County Solid Waste office has been arrested after she was accused of altering department payment receipts, authorities said.

Trina Holden Reynolds, 46, 314 Simpson St., Florence, is charged with second-degree theft of property, officials said.

Reynolds was arrested Tuesday, said Travis Clemmons, chief investigator with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.

Reynolds, who is the office administrator for the Solid Waste Department, has been an employee of the county since 2007. She has denied the allegations.

Robert Bevis, manager of the solid waste department, said Reynolds has been suspended without pay.

Second-degree theft involves a theft of $500-to-$2,500. Clemmons said the arrest was made after that much money was found missing.

“At this point, we don’t know how much money we’re talking about or how long this has been going on,” Clemmons said.

He said his office is in the process of going through all of the department’s receipt books, but a thorough audit also will be needed.

“It could be thousands of dollars that are missing, we just don’t know right now. That’s what an audit would find,” Clemmons said.

He said he has talked with county officials who agreed if state auditors could not provide the information needed quickly, they would hire an outside agency to conduct the audit.

That matter was briefly discussed at Tuesday afternoon’s commission work session, where the commissioners were briefed on the arrest.

Authorities said in her capacity as office administer, Reynolds would check the daily receipts of fees from the disposal of commercial debris sent to the county commission office for deposit.

Reports indicate Reynolds is accused of altering the receipts and taking some of the cash payments made to the office.

The landfill, located in the Underwood community on Alabama 157, accepts only debris, trash and construction materials. Companies must pay a fee to dispose of the debris at the landfill.

Clemmons said an investigation began last week after the Sheriff’s Department was notified of the allegations.

County Commission Chairman Dewey Mitchell said Bevis notified county officials of discrepancies in the commercial fee receipts Thursday.

Mitchell said he and county attorney Chris Smith then met with Bevis.

“Robert ... did his own internal investigation and brought that information to us,” Smith said. “Once we reviewed the information (Bevis) had, we met with the district attorney and he advised us to turn everything over the sheriff’s office.”

Clemmons said once the investigation is concluded the information will be turned over to the district attorney’s office and the case will be presented to a grand jury.

Reynolds was released from jail on bail of $1,500.

Second-degree theft of property is a Class C felony and is punishable by 1-10 years in prison if convicted.

Tom Smith can be reached at 256-740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.