KEYSER, W.Va. — It will be Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. when Marques Rice next enters the Mineral County Courthouse to face felony charges of embezzlement and false pretenses.

Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Nelson said during Rice’s initial appearance Friday, he was released on $5,000 bond and that he will be represented by Katherine Dooley of Charleston, although she was not in the courtroom yesterday.

Rice, 35, of 161 Maple Ave. was indicted Wednesday by the Mineral County Grand Jury.

Sgt. J.M. Droppleman of the West Virginia State Police is the lead investigator on the case that began in 2006 after George McNeill, a former councilman, alleged that up to $2 million was missing from Keyser’s water and sewer accounts and up to $1 million from other funds.

Droppleman said in February 2007 that his investigation did not reveal any missing money but he did find instances where “money was misappropriated, misspent or otherwise obtained by false pretense.”

First elected in 1998, Rice lost his bid for re-election this year when he was defeated in the May primary.

The charges cover a three-year period.