CROWN POINT | A former Lake County treasurer's clerk was ordered Friday to put $335,000 back into the county coffers, court records show.

Wanda White is accused of pocketing more than $108,500 in tax payments that county property owners made to the office between July 1, 2005, and Nov. 17, 2007, when White was terminated.

Lake Superior Court Judge John Pera granted Friday a $335,055.61 judgment to Lake County in White's civil case. That amount includes attorney fees, court costs and prejudgment interest, records state.

The county's civil lawsuit against White alleged "conversion," which is defined in Indiana law as exerting unauthorized control over property belonging to someone else.

Within the bounds of state law, Lake County sought up to three times the amount White was accused of stealing, White's attorney Ben Murphy said.

Murphy said White remained silent throughout the civil case because her criminal case is pending. Murphy declined further comment Friday on the civil case judgment.

"I think it's fair," County Attorney John Dull said.

Dull said the county will initiate the process of looking at White's assets after the judgment is final. White has 30 days to appeal, he said.

White still faces two counts of felony theft and one count of felony official misconduct in Lake Criminal Court. Murphy said he has discussed a possible plea agreement with Lake County prosecutors.

A State Board of Accounts audit declared White was the lone treasurer's office employee responsible for accepting cash payments from taxpayers who previously had tried to pay their property taxes with checks not backed in sufficient bank funds.

White would demand cash from the taxpayers, pocket the cash, declare the taxes paid in the office's accounting system and write fake checks that appeared to account for the cash, state authorities said.

She posted bond last year and will remain out of jail as her criminal proceedings continue, records state.