The town of Wendell has filed a lawsuit demanding that its former finance director come clean and give up more money than she has been charged with stealing.

Barbara Archer Raper, 70, was arrested three weeks ago and charged with embezzling $83,759 from the town. She had been Wendell's finance manager for 34 years.

But town officials have vowed to recover $276,764, the amount an audit showed was misappropriated in recent years. Town officials say there is not enough proof to criminally charge Raper with stealing all the money.

In a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Wake Superior Court, town lawyers outline how they think the money disappeared. The court papers offer the first public details of how the town says Raper, who resigned in November after being placed on administrative leave, methodically siphoned off public money beginning in 2000.

Raper's attorney could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

The lawsuit describes a scheme in which Raper altered checks and financial documents and concealed or destroyed financial records.

Near the end of each fiscal year, Raper would request checks from the town manager to pay for fictitious debts, and that money would be turned into cashier's checks. Raper, according to the lawsuit, would report the money as missing funds "in transit," meaning they were bills from the previous year that had not been processed by the bank.

Each year the amount "in transit" rose as Raper attempted to hide the total amount she had stolen, the lawsuit alleges.

The town seeks to get Raper to admit or deny that during her employment she stole at least $83,759.31 from the town and as much as $276,764 and that she took or destroyed the town's financial documents.

"The town board is determined to seek recovery of the public's money," said Wilson lawyer Jim Cauley, who represents the town.

Wendell, which has a population of about 4,500, had an annual budget of just under $7 million for its 2005-2006 fiscal year.

The case alleges that Raper committed fraud and unfair and deceptive trade practices. It also alleges she has civil liability for felonious larceny, larceny by an employee, embezzlement and conversion, which alleges that Raper attempted to cover her acts by fraudulent record keeping.

Court papers also lay out where the town intends to make its recovery.

Raper's assets include her deceased husband's BellSouth retirement and ownership in timeshares in Massanutten, Va., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Florida, according to court papers. Including her Wendell residence, Raper owns more than 100 acres in Wendell. Her five properties have a combined tax value of more than $800,000.

Raper, who had been the town's finance officer since 1971, grew up in Wendell and is well-known in the eastern Wake town.

Town Manager Tim Burgess said Wednesday that an audit is under way for the financial year that ended June 30. Burgess said town officials should know in the coming months whether money was misappropriated during the last budget year.