SUNBURY — Northumberland County Prothonotary Kathleen Strausser said the suspended deputy who was cleared of wrongdoing in an alleged theft of money will get her job back.

But Strausser said that won’t happen until deputy prothonotary Annette Gurba’s attorney sends a letter to the county outlining the terms of her return.

“If it was me, I’d have something in writing,” Strausser said Friday.

A 17-year county employee, Gurba was suspended without pay on Dec. 16 after an adult probation employee reported a theft of an undisclosed amount of money.

A state police investigation was launched, and on Wednesday, District Attorney Anthony Rosini informed county solicitor Hugh Jones that the theft allegation was not proven and Gurba was cleared.

Strausser said she didn’t receive a formal notice of the police investigation’s outcome until late Friday morning.

Although Gurba doesn’t normally handle money on the job, she was in charge of the office one day in December and called the prothonotary office solicitor, Roger Wiest II, to ask what she should do, Strausser said.

At Wiest’s recommendation, she said, Gurba accepted the money brought in by the adult probation worker.

Shortly after, the theft allegation was made.

“I never thought she was guilty,” said Strausser, explaining that she had to suspend Gurba pending the investigation. “It was a serious allegation.”

Now that Gurba has been cleared, Strausser said she’s entitled to her job and back pay.

But she’s not moving to formally lift the suspension until the attorney Gurba hired after the theft complaint was filed spells out the terms of her return.

“I’m waiting on her,” Strausser said.

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