A former city employee accused of lying about breast cancer and subsequently receiving thousands of dollars in assistance appeared briefly in criminal court this morning as the district attorney’s office sorts through claims of fraud.

Keele Maynor resigned from her job as an administrative assistant with the city last December.

She was arrested on state criminal charges in May and is facing eight counts of theft and one of forgery after she allegedly faked breast cancer beginning in 2003.

She obtained at least $70,000 from the city in benefits and vacation time given to her by other employees, officials said shortly after the arrest.

Because the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office needs more time to evaluate the claims of fraud and determine how much money Ms. Maynor received in assistance, the case was passed until Jan. 5. Ms. Maynor will again appear in Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Don Poole’s courtroom.

Her attorney said both Ms. Maynor and her husband are working and that more information about potentially fraudulent claims will be known by both sides in January.

“They’re trying to get their hands around it just like we are,” attorney Stuart Brown said.

See tomorrow’s Times Free Press for complete details.