A former Keystone Real Estate employee was arraigned yesterday for allegedly stealing over $51,000 from the company.

Karen Confer, 37, is charged with receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make required payments. According to police documents, the Altoona resident was the office manager for Nittany Garden Apartments, 445 Waupelani Drive, and was stealing the money for personal use from April 1998 until January 2000.

The company reported Sept. 13 that an employee was suspected of misappropriating rental funds. Confer took a maternity leave in February and a temporary manager filling in for Confer noticed the financial discrepancies.

Confer was interviewed by the State College Police Department and admitted to "misappropriating funds," "taking some funds," and "taking cash," while employed at the company. She admitted to taking between $10,000 and $11,000.

Confer was released without bail and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Feb. 28.