Viola Mayor Michael Lester has made his initial court appearance in a theft and official misconduct case. He is facing one felony count of theft between $500 and $10,000 and 38 felony counts of official misconduct. The allegations involve a time period between October of 2022 and July of 2023. The charges were filed Thursday following his Wednesday arrest. Bond has been set at $25,000. Lester is being held in the Mercer County Jail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Monday.
