PRINEVILLE, Ore. -- The office manager of the Crook County Sheriff's Office has been cited by Oregon State Police on an official misconduct charge, accused of taking $40 from petty cash for personal use and returning it a few days later, the OSP reported Thursday.

An investigation by OSP Criminal Investigations Division detectives from the Bend Area Command office resulted in the citation of Lauri Toll, 46.

The first-degree official misconduct charge is a Class A misdemeanor that carries a possible maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $6,250 fine.

The offense is related to an allegation that in 2009, Toll removed money from a department petty cash fund for personal use.

Sheriff Rodd Clark told NewsChannel 21 Thursday that Toll has been placed on paid administrative leave.

OSP detectives began an investigation in July after receiving information that Toll allegedly took $40 cash from an office petty cash fund "to make a personal non-department related payment and replaced the withdrawn money a few days later," the announcement stated.

Among her duties, Toll manages the petty cash fund maintained in a lock box in her office.

The subsequent investigation, completed with the assistance of the sheriff's and district attorney's offices, led to Toll being cited to appear Sept. 22 in Crook County Circuit Court.

Toll has worked in the sheriff's office for five years, Clark told KTVZ.COM. She was hired in June 2005 and promoted to office manager in March of 2007.

Earlier, Clark said, Toll had worked in the county finance-treasurer's office but was laid off due to lack of work.

Clark said an outside agency is usually called in in such circumstances, to avoid any conflict of interest.

Speaking of general practice and not the specific case, the sheriff said county employees accused of crimes usually are placed on paid leave during the investigation, and if it proceeds to court, the worker is placed on unpaid leave until the case is decided.

"Depending on the court outcome," other action is possible, he said, "which could be anything up to and including termination from employment," depending on the seriousness of the matter.