The former director of the Revere Public Library was ordered not to leave the country today as he was formally charged with 21 counts of larceny, fraud, and embezzlement for allegedly using city funds to buy items he kept for himself or sold online, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The Suffolk County Grand Jury on March 15 indicted ROBERT RICE (D.O.B. 5/5/65) of Rowley for three counts of larceny over $350, three counts of embezzlement by a city officer, and 15 counts of procurement fraud. He was arraigned on those charges this morning in Suffolk Superior Court.

At the request of Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Goldberger, Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson did not set monetary bail but did order Rice to surrender his passport. Wilson additionally ordered Rice not to travel outside the United States and to notify prosecutors if he intended any “extended travel outside New England” during the pendency of his case.

Through his attorney, Stephen Tassinari, Rice agreed to make himself available to Revere Police for booking and processing.

Goldberger told the court that Rice “engaged in a number of schemes” by which he caused the City of Revere to purchase items ostensibly for the Revere Public Library. In purchasing documents, Rice would allegedly describe those items as books. In many cases, Goldberger said, Rice simply kept them for himself.

“In some cases, after the city paid for these things, Mr. Rice would sell them on eBay,” Goldberger said, noting more than 1500 online auctions conducted under Rice’s account during the time period in question.

Occasionally, Rice would cause the city to pay for an item that was out of stock or back ordered.

“The company would send a refund check,” Goldberger said. “Mr. Rice would then deposit that check into his bank account.”

The six-year statute of limitations on Rice’s charges extends back to 2005. He resigned from the library in 2009. The indictments reflect purchases made during those years.

Among the items Rice allegedly bought with city funds are a three-foot replica of a Thompson submachine gun, described in a purchase order as “Thompsons Machine Gun Encyc (4 vol. set),” and a Leica camera, described in a purchase order as “The Leica V-Lux Encyclopedia of the Camera (6 book set).”

During the execution of search warrants on Rice’s home and that of his parents, Revere Police detectives found upwards of 75 additional items billed to the library, including computer software, furniture, coins, diving gear, statues, decorative glass pumpkins, and birdhouses.

Rice was represented today by attorney Stephen Tassinari. He will return to court on June 8.