Prosecutors want to shelve former Revere library director

The former director of the Revere Public Library was indicted yesterday on charges he used city money to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of books, DVDs, software and "collectible curios," that he either kept or sold on eBay - including elephant tusks.

Robert Rice, 45, of Rowley, was charged with three counts of larceny over $250, three counts of embezzlement by a city officer and 15 counts of procurement fraud, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, which said Rice is scheduled for arraignment on April 1.

The indictments charge Rice with offenses dating back to 2005 and allege that he bought books, software, DVDs, and collectible curios that were billed to the City of Revere. The purchased items ended up in Rice’s possession or in online auctions at the web site eBay. In some cases, Rice allegedly used city funds to pay for items that were not shipped, then kept the refund checks sent to him by vendors.

Rice resigned as library director in 2008 after allegations arose he'd been making unusual purchases - including Rolex watches and elephant tusks - the Revere Journal reported.

Innocent, etc.