Martin Glen Pyke, 42, who is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from the Eagles Club in Socorro, then setting fire to the building to cover his tracks, is finally headed to court, El Defensor Chieftain reported.

Pyke, who was the club's gaming manager, is accused of embezzling and estimated $141,000 in money generated by the club's on-site gaming machines between June 2005 and February 2006, then intentionally setting a fire to destroy the building and financial reports on March 3, 2006, El Defensor Chieftain said.

He is scheduled for his first appearance in court next Tuesday, Oct. 21, on 19 felony counts, including arson, embezzlement, gaming violations and tampering with evidence, the paper reported.

Despite taking 2 1/2 years from the original incident, District Attorney Clint Wellborn told El Defensor Chieftain he's glad the charges have finally been filed.

"We're happy that we got the investigation completed and filed," said Wellborn, who said that the case had gone stagnant and about a year after the suspicious fire he put his investigator Levi Lovato on the case, the paper reported.

Several law enforcement agencies had taken part in the initial investigation but until early last year very little information had been forwarded to the District Attorney's Office and not enough evidence to prosecute, Lovato wrote in a probable cause statement.

Lovato said he then reviewed reports from the Socorro Police Department, including detectives' reports and security alarm reports; firefighter reports; state fire marshal investigator reports; insurance investigator reports; State Gaming Commission reports and financial documentation, El Defensor Chieftain said.

That, Wellborn told the paper, was why it took another 18 months to build the case against Pyle, who was charged in a criminal complaint dated Oct. 6.

If convicted on all counts, Pyle could face up to 63 years in prison and up to $110,000 in fines, El Defensor Chieftain said.