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Guns and spurs
A chandelier made of guns and spurs adorns Rita Crundwell's personal home in Dixon. Her possessions are being auctioned and her home will be sold in a forfeiture sale. (Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune /December 7, 2012)
Disgraced former Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell was sentenced today to about 19 1/2 years in prison for what authorities have called the largest municipal fraud in the country’s history.
U.S. District Judge Philip Reinhard ordered Crundwell taken into custody immediately to begin serving the sentence of 19 years and 7 months.
"I'm truly sorry to the city of Dixon and my family and my friends," Crundwell said as she choked up before the sentencing, her first show of emotion since she was charged last April.
The judge spoke of the "sheer magnitude" of Crundwell’s fraud and her callousness in carrying it out over more than two decades.
"You showed much greater passion for the welfare of your horses than the people of Dixon you represented," Reinhard told Crundwell. "You lived the lifestyle befitting a wealthy person, and you did this on monies that weren’t yours."
Crundwell pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $54 million from the small northwest town over more than two decades to fund a lavish lifestyle while the town's budget was awash in red ink.
Prosecutors asked that Crundwell, 60, be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison, citing the staggering losses the city sustained.
Crundwell’s attorney, Paul Gaziano, asked the court to consider a lighter sentence. recognizing Crundwell’s cooperation with authorities after her arrest last April.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Philip Reinhard in Rockford after he heard from town officials about the impact of Crundwell's actions.
U.S. marshals have been working to recoup some of the losses to repay the town, best known as the boyhood home of President Ronald Reagan. So far, they have collected about $11 million from the sale of Crundwell's 400 horses, personal property, a luxury motor home and other vehicles.
Crundwell's legal woes won't end with the federal sentencing. She still faces 60 state charges of felony theft, each of which carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison on conviction. That case is due back in court in Lee County on March 4.
mjenco@tribune.com
Crundwell gets almost 20 years for $54 million fraud
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