AUBURN — A former treasurer at Poland Community Church who is accused of embezzling from church accounts pleaded not guilty Thursday to related felony charges.

Norma Jean Inman, 43, of 135 Woodman Hill Road in Minot appeared in Androscoggin County Superior Court to answer a two-count indictment handed up last month by an Androscoggin County grand jury.

Inman was charged with one count of Class C forgery and one count of Class C theft by unauthorized taking. Both counts are punishable by up to five years in prison.

The charges stem from Nov. 3 when Inman allegedly wrote checks to herself and others on the church’s bank account totaling $6,477.89, according to law enforcement officials.

Inman was a volunteer treasurer at the church. Police learned of the theft after members of the church’s board of trustees started questioning some of the discrepancies in church finances and raised concerns about a signature they suspected as having been forged.

A member of the board investigated and asked Inman for records, but he never got them. After going to the bank, he learned what was going on, he told the Sun Journal. The case was turned over to the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department.

Inman remained free Thursday on a $2,000 unsecured bond.

She was ordered to stay away from Poland Community Church.

cwilliams@sunjournal.com