BAYARD, Neb. (AP) — A 70-year-old Bayard woman accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from state wards is set to be arraigned in Scotts Bluff County District Court later this month on a charge of theft.

Judith Widener, the president of the Safe Haven, Inc., was arrested last month. She is free after posting $50,000 cash bond.

Widener was bound over to district court following a preliminary hearing Friday in county court.

Widener is accused of collecting payments that were intended for court-appointed wards, even though some were dead or no longer in her care. The State Patrol and local law enforcement began investigating Widener after state auditors discovered questionable payments.

Widener is set to be arraigned Friday. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison.